Time and Tide
by Scififan33
Summary: They were the last ones left, with Soul Society right on their heels. To save everyone they agreed to do it again. But when would they land? Torn apart in the past, they will have to find each other again. Can they change things and save them all? slash and het
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: don't own Bleach or Harry Potter_

_This isn't the story I was asking for help with a Zanpakutō for Harry with. _

**Chapter 1**

They ran through the darkness, Zanpakutō unsealed and held tightly. They were all that was left of the resistance, the hounds of Soul Society nipping at their heals no matter where they went or how well they hid. Shinji and Rukia had been the last to fall just eight days ago and they had barely slept since then. Feeling the sudden appearance of two Onmitsukidō, Nejibana slamming into the ground, waves of water swirling out to hit the two with tsunami level force, all without either of them breaking stride. They were trying to make their running look random, to through their pursuit off. They were heading for one of Geta-boshi's old hidden labs, they had started the journey just after he had died as he had told Uryū about it with his dying breath. They hadn't expected it to take so long to find but it had, and the only way there had taken them through some of the more heavily patrolled areas which is why they were all that was left now. They skidded to a stop and went to work on the wards, bringing them down as quickly as possible before entering cautiously. Down and down they went, far beneath the empty land beyond the last districts of Rukongai.

They got through the final layer of security to find a mess. How were they meant to find one machine in all this? "Geta-boshi always kept a messy lab."

"Great, come on, those wards won't hold forever."

They went to work, carefully sorting through everything to find the device Uryū had described. They worked for hours without stopping since they didn't know how long it would take for them to be found again.

In the end it took two days for the wards to come under attack. They just over halfway through the mess and now they were really running out of time. Three layers of wards and barriers had been broken when they found it. He set it up, following the verbal directions they'd heard and then Ichigo powered it up.

"How far?"

"I don't know, before all of this but…it's probably before we met," Ichigo admitted. There wasn't time for him to focus on aiming it other than making sure it was during their lifetimes but also before everything went to hell. A calloused, scared hand grabbed his and amber met green.

"I'll find you," he promised even as Nejibana was sealed and Ichigo nodded, sealing Zangetsu, proud he had finally learnt how. He looked down at his shorter companion, who grinned back and then their arms were around each other, a hand buried in orange locks as he pulled Ichigo down, lips meeting. "This isn't goodbye," he whispered and then they turned, hands gripped tight as they watched the growing patch of black, waiting for it to be big enough. they exchange one last look before they were leaping through. Seconds later the entire lab blew up.

They held tightly to each other, trying to remain together but all too soon the currents were pulling them apart, even as they reached back for the other. Ichigo groped in the total darkness for his hand but there was nothing, he was alone, body buffeted and pulled by unseen forces as he fell. There was no sense of time in this place, he could have fallen for seconds or centuries.

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In two very different rooms, two people gasped, jolting upright, eyes wide. They'd done it.

_TBC…._

_Short but it's an intro. _


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: Not mine_

**Chapter 2**

Harry gasped awake, finding himself in pitch blackness, he felt sick, dizzy and he pressed a hand to his forehead. What the hell? He blinked but the darkness remained, so he fumbled around in the dark, finding he was in a small space with a sloped roof and locked door…the cupboard. He was in the cupboard under the stairs….his bedroom until the Hogwarts letters. His head was killing him! He lay back down and closed his eyes, focusing his aching mind and then he found himself falling until he was standing on a massive lake of churning water, not that he needed the visual to know he was in turmoil. He looked around desperately, was she still with him? "Nejibana!" he yelled desperately and then he felt a tug on his ankle, spilling him under the surface and he came face to face with his smiling Zanpakutō spirit. "Nejibana," he whispered, unbothered by being underwater even as he hugged her, feeling her hug him back.

"I am with you Harry," she whispered, deep blue eyes closed as she held her wielder. "No one will ever part us," she swore even as they surfaced and moved to one of the small islands dotting the area. She sat and Harry lay down, his head in her lap.

"We did it." he couldn't believe it, their Hail Mary attempt at time travel had actually worked.

"Of course we did," she smiled down at him.

"I'm still in the cupboard so I can't be more than eleven, which means Ichigo is twelve…so that leaves three years to fix things here and then get to Karakura." That would be enough time, he was not leaving Ichigo to go through all that alone…if it would even be his Ichigo. They'd been separated, they could end up popping up years apart. What if Ichigo didn't appear until it was too late? If… if he wasn't his Ichigo he'd just have to befriend him all over again before everything went wrong. He had no allies here, none of their comrades would remember. Urahara was out, he would have trusted their Geta-boshi without a thought, but this one wasn't tempered by years on the run, he was still focused on the immediate, how to defeat Aizen. Harry would be a wildcard in his plan and that wasn't something he would like. No, for now he would have to focus on Britain, Dumbledore and Riddle. "The Horcrux?"

"I would never allow such a thing to threaten you," she sniffed in disdain.

That explained the state of things, but even now the water was slowly calming. "I guess I have to relearn everything, huh?"

"Your mind knows and that will enable you to train here but in the real world, yes, you will need to retrain your body. You are rather…small at the moment," she teased, and he rolled his eyes.

"Not my fault," he mumbled feeling tired.

"Sleep Harry, nothing will harm you," she kissed the infamous scar as he drifted to sleep. Here, in their world, he looked no different to how he had when he leapt with Ichigo into the timestream. It was how he saw himself. The real world was a different matter, she could feel the borderline malnutrition, the ache of badly healed broken bones. They had a lot of work to do and limited time to do it in. She stared out over the water, brushing silvery locks back over her shoulder. Her dark blue and white kimono served as Harry's pillow; his sleep unbothered by the fact that the cloth was always wet. She ran slender fingers through his hair, working to keep the nightmares at bay. Only being reunited with their Ichigo would truly soothe him now, but that would be years away.

When Harry woke the next morning, it was to Aunt Petunia unlocking his door and sneering for him to make breakfast. He'd forgotten what a…well he was too much a gentleman to use those words, but she was horrible. Her death was not one he had mourned. Opening the fridge brought back memories, how long had it been seen he'd seen so much food? He quickly made the breakfast and then looked at his Aunt. "When do you expect my Hogwarts letter?" he asked, and she froze.

"What are you talking about?" she demanded.

"Let's make a deal, you don't lie, and I will be permanently out of your hair within a month," he snarled, and she startled back in shock and fear as green eyes glowed briefly. "I am well aware of my heritage Petunia. I am not the child you have abused for years anymore. Do not try me." He didn't hate them, not anymore, but he felt no desire to lift a finger to save them, his Mother's family or not. He knew his Mother would have loved Dudley and raised him well if roles had bene reversed. "Just remember, once I'm gone, so too are the wards that protect your worthless lives."

"How dare you!" She grabbed the frypan and swung, and Harry easily ducked, stepping closer, his hand brushing her arm as his magic surged and he mentally cursed the blocks on his core. It was enough to do what he needed though, freezing her in place. Unable to move, she stared into green eyes, seeing something very different. Her Father had fought in war and the boy's eyes were like his now, haunted and aged before their time. This truly was not the boy who she had locked away last night. He released the spell and she stumbled before backing away. "The letter is due on your birthday," she whispered, and he nodded.

"I will need to go to London today," he offered, glad Dudley was still upstairs.

"Take bus fare from the tin," she answered, relaxing a little when he nodded.

"You should start looking for a house outside of Britain as soon as possible. Maybe Vernon could take that German transfer. You will be harder to find in another country." He would do no more to warn them. He headed upstairs as Dudley stormed down, going to wash up while they ate. He grabbed the money from the tin and headed out, he had a lot to do. Theoretically he knew where every Horcrux and the main part of Riddle's soul were, but he could not face the protections as he was now. He would need help and he knew one place where he may get it. They did not like soul magics in their bank after all.

The bus ride into London was long and Harry rested his head against the window, letting him mind wander even while remaining aware enough of his surroundings to spot trouble. Situational awareness had been drummed into him all his life, first to dodge the fists and frying pans of his family, then spells and then finally Zanpakutō and Kido. How different would his life had been if he'd been able to hear her from the start? He'd heard a distant whisper the first time he'd wielded Gryffindor's sword, the sword of his ancestor. She'd helped guide his hands, even though he hadn't known it at the time. Her calls had become louder during third year, due to the Dementors, his Patronus had even taken the form of a sea serpent as she tried to defend him. He'd made the mistake of mentioning the whispers to Dumbledore after the Graveyard and been obliviated for his troubles. It hadn't just been whispers though but images, feelings…and they all traced back to the day that Rukia destroyed the Novena Espada, Aaroniero Arruruerie. Dumbledore had assumed it was Riddle and had wanted Harry vulnerable, not suspicious. He'd thought he was proven right thanks to Fifth year and Sirius' death. It was strange knowing he was complete and yet that Hollow existed at the moment, what would it mean for him when it was killed this time? It had taken Harry dying himself for her to reach him but that was all, he had been human, not Shinigami so couldn't even manifest her.

He'd left Britain then to wander the world, loving the freedom of travelling. He'd been eighteen the first time he ever managed to summon her blade. He'd been in Japan, Karakura of all places, when a Hollow had appeared and attacked him. He had killed it and then collapsed only to wake three days later in Urahara's shop to find the shopkeeper and Ichigo waiting for him. It had been strange, to recognize Urahara when they had never met. He'd long since come to accept those vague memories, images and feelings as a part of himself. He knew of Kaien Shiba from Nejibana, the idea that he was his reincarnation, or something was…strange. But it added up when he had heard Nejibana clearer after the death of the Espada that had consumed the Hollow that had killed him. They had been in the middle of the Quincy war then and it hadn't taken much for Harry to sign up, especially once Kisuke had knocked him out of his body and he had looked down to see the black and white Shihakushō, the black kosode sleeveless, without the lieutenant's badge Kaien had worn. Instead of the white obi around his waist had been a Gryffindor red belt where Nejibana hung, tied on with a sea green ribbon. It hadn't taken much for him to learn to fight as a Shinigami since Nejibana had been training him in his mind for over a year.

It had been amusing, seeing the shock on the faces that he had vague memories of, when he had arrived with Ichigo during a battle only to use Nejibana. The look on Ukitake's face though….it had hurt. They had talked briefly after the battle and he knew it had grieved the man to realise that Harry held very few memories of his old life. He had looked the man dead in the eye and told him it wasn't his fault, that he…Kaien had been a fool to rush into that fight and not accept help. That memory was unfortunately rather clear. It hadn't been long after that, that the man had given his life to stabilise the worlds. Seeing him die had hurt but he had moved past it. in the end they'd won the war, there was a reason Aizen had target Kaien after all, he had wielded the most powerful water Zanpakutō ever, and while Harry didn't have his experience wielding Nejibana he had brought wizarding magic with him, something the Quincy King hadn't been prepared for at all. Between Ichigo, Uryū and him they had defeated Yhwach, completely destroying him. In a way, doing that had sealed their fates. Once the clean-up was over, the Central 46 had decided they were a threat, too powerful to control, so they had targeted all of them. Some of the Shinigami had rebelled, all of the Visored had as well but they hadn't had the numbers to go head to head with Soul Society. They'd run and spent almost a decade running as their numbers were whittled down slowly, until only he and Ichigo remained. He'd been barely thirty when they had trusted Kisuke's device and thrown themselves in, now he was almost eleven, at least physically.

He was jolted from his memories as the bus pulled into the London station. He got off and headed for the west end and Charing Cross Road, slipping easily through the weekday crowds until he reached the Leaky Cauldron. He kept his head down, although thanks to Nejibana handling the Horcrux his scar was already beginning to fade, however that did nothing to disguise the infamous Potter hair or the green eyes of Lily Evans. He had to wait for someone to open the wall as he had no wand and with a good portion of his magic sealed behind blocks, he couldn't manage it windlessly. Once in the alley he made his way to Gringotts and approached a teller. He didn't particularly care for Goblins and would likely kill Griphook himself his betrayal, but they were his only hope at the moment.

"Yes?" the goblin sneered, and Harry glared back, emerald eyes as cold as the deepest sea.

"I need to see the Potter account manager," he answered, polite yet cold, powerful, because power was what they respected.

"And you are?"

Harry flipped his fringe back, revealing the infamous scar. "Check my blood if you want." He held his hand out, not flinching as a quill stabbed his palm, drawing his blood.

"Very well, wait there."

Harry moved aside to wait, patiently. Soon he was led to an office he had seen once before, after the war.

"Yes?"

Harry took the only empty chair and met the goblins eyes calmly. "What would Gringotts do if I told you there is a Horcrux within one of the vaults?"

"WHAT?" the goblin snarled in rage. "You dare"

"No, but I know who's vault it's in and who put it there."

"And in return?" the calmer goblin asked with gritted teeth.

Harry smirked.

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Harry lay on the bed in his hotel room, Hedwig happily snoozing in her cage. This time she wouldn't die to save him. The Horcruxes were no more, performing Konso on one had sent them all on. All that was left was the main piece and he knew where it would be come September. Not that he needed to attend Hogwarts, the goblins tests had registered him as being of age, even if his body wasn't, so as far as magic was concerned, he was an adult. The goblins hadn't been happy with him removing all Potter money from their control, but he wasn't risking losing it all if he angered them again like with the bank heist they'd performed in the original timeline. He'd had it changed into normal money and put it into a bank. Tomorrow he would see someone to begin investing it widely to ensure he couldn't lose too much should something happen. Thanks to the goblins, in payment over the Horcrux, the blocks on his magic were gone and he'd been given a regime of healing potions to help his body recover from years of neglect. Doing it so much earlier meant he had more of a chance of getting close to Ichigo's height, though he doubted he'd get beyond six foot like Ichigo had. The goblins had claimed Bellatrix's vault and that of her husband and had split the contents with him since he was the one who alerted them to the problem.

Dealing with Riddle wasn't enough, he had to ensure that Wizarding Britain was brought into line with the rest of the world. That would be the hardest thing as they were so entrenched in the past with their ideas of blood purity and separation. Dumbledore would need to be discredited and shown for what he really was before any change could really happen, the same with Fudge, Umbridge…most of the Ministry really. He was working with a small timeframe to get it all done, but it had to be finished before he went to Japan. He needed allies, people who would be able to work on those goals. He looked like a child; few would take him seriously even with being the Boy-Who-Lived. He had some ideas, but he hadn't really had the chance to get close to many people outside of Hogwarts.

He needed Sirius out of prison and as head of the Black's in order to help neutralise the Malfoy's and Lestrange's. He though Madame Bones and Longbottom would be good allies but how was he meant to approach them? He couldn't just walk into the Ministry and ask to see her or just pop by Longbottom Hall. He hated being so young! And somewhere in between reordering the wizarding world he had to find time to train his body. He did wonder what his spiritual body looked like, he adult he thought himself as, or did it mirror his body?

Harry wandered over to the window, looking out over an untouched London, remembering what it had looked like after the war. The damage had been blamed on terrorists, terrorists that had never been seen or caught. He would not let it happen this time. Cedric, Sirius, Fred, Remus, Tonks, Mad Eye…they would not die in war, not this time. Once he was strong enough to leave his body, he could ensure that they were shoved back in their bodies, as long as their chains of fare remained intact. But it shouldn't get to that point.

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Amelia opened the letter and took out the vial of silvery liquid, memories. She opened the note and skimmed it, anonymous but stating it was new evidence in an old case, proving false imprisonment of a pureblood heir. If it was true…it would definitely stir up a mess, but she didn't care, she cared about the law and ensuring justice was given. She poured the memories in her Pensieve and called in two senior Aurors to observe with her.

An hour later all three emerged, shocked and appalled by what they had seen.

"Speak of this with no one, the utmost care will be needed to ensure the truth is revealed and an innocent life spared."

"Yes Director," they both answered before leaving.

She stared at the empty vial, just whose memories had those been? Had someone else been there that night and survived? And why now? Wait…it had been ten years….the Potter boy would be re-entering their world this year. Was it possible these were his memories? He had been nothing more than a baby though. This would require very quiet investigation. She knew Lucius believed his son to be next in line to inherit the Black fortune, if word reached him of Sirius' possible innocence and release the man would never see the outside world.

_TBC…_


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: Not mine_

_So was Harry's memories of Kaien believable? _

_Things like titles or Shikai phrases I get from various Bleach info sites. According to the them Kaien hadn't achieved Bankai so suggestions? Read an incomplete story with Ichigo as his reincarnation where he wields Nejibana and Zangetsu and they had his Shikai as also being able to take the form of a flying sea serpent and then Bankai he could dissolve and sea water currents everywhere or something. _

**Chapter 3**

The freezing cold despair faded away and he took advantage of it, canine form slipping away to leave a man lying on the dirty, ragged pallet. He heard the sound of approaching feet and wondered why the guards were approaching, a new prisoner? He didn't bother moving, they wouldn't be there for him. When he'd first woken in his cell he had thought they had lost, that Voldemort had won, and he was imprisoned as a blood traitor. It had been months later when his cousin began yelling that he had realised they had won, and he hadn't understood why he was locked up until a guard had taunted him over Voldemort's death, as if he would be upset. He finally raised his head when the footsteps stopped outside his cell.

"Get up Black," one grunted and he obeyed, not in the mood for a beating. They entered the cell and shackled him before leading him away. When they left the building he stumbled, blinded by the light. "Move," the guard snarled, pulling him along and then they were getting into a boat.

"What?" he croaked out, confused.

"Silence," he was warned.

Sirius figured they were finally going to kill him and decided to enjoy the sunlight and fresh air since it was probably his last chance. When they landed a portkey was shoved into his hand and then he was in a holding cell, one he recognised, he was in the Ministry! How many times had he put someone in one of these as an Auror? He missed those days so much, working as partners with James, going home with him to find a cooked meal curtesy of Lily, playing with Harry…. He grinned weakly when he spotted the wash basin and went to work trying to clean up as much as he could, before going to sleep. Hours later, he assumed it was morning, he was dragged to the shower block to wash fully and even given clean prison robes. Then they led him up and he felt a small spark of hope, this way led to the Wizengamot Chambers.

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Hearing a bark he looked up and smiled, rolling up to go and open her cage, stroking brilliant white feathers. "Hey girl, he greeted the now awake owl . One thing he had done was to arrange a mail box so that any mail for him was delivered there to keep anyone from tracking him. Hedwig would then be sent to collect the mail once a week, not that he was expecting a lot. "I'll have a letter for you soon," he promised, dragging himself to the desk to actually write it. He had never met the man in the original time line, he had been dead long before Harry knew of their ties and he had never heard how he had died. He took out parchment and quill and wrote the letter, introducing himself, explaining why he had never sought him out before, and explaining about Sirius before sealing it and addressing it to Arcturus Black, the current Lord Black. The man should get to know that his grandson was innocent.

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Harry walked confidently into the Ministry building on the day of the next session. He was dressed in good quality robes fashioned in the Japanese style since that was what he had come to prefer. He walked straight past the security desk, the guard not even noticing him, not that he had a wand to check. In two weeks he had already changed physical, putting on a few centimetres in height and beginning to gain weight, his skin a much healthier shade and his glasses gone, along with his famous scar. He had begun with light training to build up strength and endurance, knowing he would need it if he wanted to wield Nejibana's blade as soon as possible. Performing Konso on the Horcrux had wiped him out and all he'd had to do was tap the cup with the blades hilt.

He took the lift down to the Wizengamot Chambers and found a seat in the gallery, making sure he wasn't too noticeable from the lower levels. The goblins had informed him of interesting activity at Azkaban and the Ministry, so he hoped Madame Bones was doing what he wanted. Sending her those memories had been risky, but he hadn't had many other options. He wanted to remain hidden, but he would step forward to save Sirius if he had to. The goblins had ensured that all of the paperwork had gone through the Ministry, he was legally an adult. With the blocks off his magic and his body healing he would soon be a force to reckon with since he retained all of his future knowledge. Soon he was joined in the gallery by some bored press members, although Mr. Lovegood was there as well, Harry had sent him a note about today's potentially explosive meeting. He may be eccentric and possible half crazy, but he was still a journalist. A few more people arrived to watch with the air of those who always came to see how their government was leading.

The session began with the standard forms and Harry was glad he had never had to actually sit in the Black seat, having given his proxy to Andromeda as soon as he inherited it. No wonder the Wizarding world was stagnant if this was how the government functioned. Then again, the Central 46 were just as bad, maybe even worse. It was why both governments needed to be torn down and remade.

Finally, after what felt like a century, Amelia Bones stood up to be recognised.

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"Thank you Chief Warlock, Minister," she settled her monocle and looked at the gathered members. She'd seen the larger than normal press gathering in the gallery and assumed the person who had begun this had somehow known what would happen today and was trying to prevent a Ministry cover up. "I come before you today on a matter of urgency. For a decade the heir to one of our Noble and Most Ancient Houses has languished in Azkaban….without a trial," she paused as the room exploded in noise. What surprised her was the instantly masked flash of anger on Dumbledore's face, what did he know…or was trying to hide?

"This atrocity must be rectified immediately!" Lord Nott demanded.

Amelia hid a smile, for once the Dark families were doing her work for her, not that they would like the result. "Is it the command of the Wizengamot that the prisoner is brought before it for trial?" She asked formally and almost every wand lit in a yes vote. She turned and nodded to Shacklebolt who turned and left to retrieve the prisoner. Glancing up at the gallery she saw the press members were now alert, quills poised over parchment.

Soon an emaciated figure was led in, head bowed, lank black hair falling down around his shoulders. He was settled into the chair and finally lifted his head, looking around. Amelia stood calmly, waiting for the gasps and cries of shock and horror to cease. When they didn't she fired off a cannon blast from her wand.

"Sirius Orion Black III, you stand accused of the betrayal of the Potter family, James, Lily and Harry, to the Dark Lord known as Voldemort. Also, you are accused of belonging to the terrorist group known as Death Eaters. You are also charged with the murder of Peter Pettigrew as well as twelve muggles. As well, you are charged with breaking the Statue of Secrecy in using magic to blow up the muggle street where these murders occurred. How do you plead?" She read the charges as the room waited with bated breath.

"Not guilty on all charges Amelia," he croaked out as he met her eyes, managing a slight smile. "About time I got a trial. I request…" he paused to cough, "the use of Veritaserum to help prove my innocence."

"Very well, I shall now present the evidence in this case." Thankfully, Sirius' wand had still been in evidence and a simple Prior Incantato revealed only defensive and tracking spells, nothing that could have blown up a street. That caused some whispers and because she was watching him she caught the slip in Dumbledore's genial façade. Did he know Sirius was innocent all these years? Then why not speak up? Something was definitely wrong here. She presented a few other pieces before activating the Pensieve and playing the memories she'd been given.

The room watched in shock and horror as Lily Evans was killed, Voldemort gliding forward, approaching the crib, and in the doorway, half hidden…Peter Pettigrew. There were screams as the green curse flew towards the toddler standing up in his crib and crying. The memory slowed, allowing them all to see the Runes light up on the crib, down to the ground, spreading out to where Lily's body lay, before the curse hit, the protections reflecting it back at Voldemort, but some of the spell broke through, hitting Harry and leaving the scar. They saw Voldemort's body explode, a dark shadow fleeing the scene before Pettigrew darted in and grabbed his dropped wand before transforming into a rat and scurrying away as Harry wailed in the background. The memory kept going, no one saying anything, until Severus Snape entered the nursery and collapsed, pulling Lily into his arms as he cried over her body. He fled when a noise was heard and then Hagrid entered, looking heartbroken. He gently scooped Harry up and began making his way out. Downstairs, a glimpse of James Potter could be seen and then they were outside. Seconds later a motorcycle landed, and Sirius Black ran to Hagrid. The memory ended after Hagrid refused to hand Harry to his Godfather, on Dumbledore's orders.

"Obviously these memories are false as the only person present for some of those scenes was Harry Potter," Dumbledore pointed out calmly.

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He had hoped nothing would be said but now that it had and people were beginning to nod he had no choice, so he stood and made his way to the stairs, walking down to the main floor where he stopped just off the floor. "I can tell you," he called out calmly, all heads turning to face him.

"And who are you, young man?" Amelia asked.

"Harry James Potter, ma'am. Those are my memories that I sent to you in order to clear my Godfather's name."

And once again the chamber exploded in noise.

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Harry collapsed on his bed again, worn out. Sirius had his freedom and was undergoing treatment in St Mungo's. Harry had slipped out during the pandemonium that had come with all of the revelations of the case, such as Dumbledore's actions in basically having Harry kidnapped to take to his maternal relatives. If he had stayed then too many questions would be asked, like where he was living. Sooner or later his status would come out, especially after his appearance today and he was dreading the reactions to it. This was only the first step in bringing down Dumbledore and the Ministry but the next had to wait until he was in Hogwarts. Unfortunately Nejibana agreed with him that it was the simplest way to reform the school which meant he had to at least show up on September 1st. He was not looking forward to that at all. At least he was unlikely to be found, which was why he was staying in a muggle hotel.

Harry would rather be focusing on his non-magical education, something that had suffered in the original timeline since he had attended Hogwarts and then travelled before being drawn into another war. Ichigo was in his last year of elementary…or first year of junior high? He wasn't entirely sure which side of the divide Ichigo's birthday fell on. Was Ichigo bored out of his mind redoing school? Or was it the first time through for him? He couldn't risk trying to contact him, because if he didn't remember it would raise a lot of questions and Harry knew he was being watched, by both Urahara and Aizen. As soon as he could Harry was going to move to Karakura and enrol in school there, another reason he needed to keep up with his schooling. Transfer students happened, so it shouldn't raise any warning flags for either man. He just had to be patient.

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Nejibana laughed as they clashed, sending up waves. Harry wore a matching grin as they fought, enjoying the thrill of the challenge. She let her blade drop, spinning it and Harry quickly mimicked her. "Suiten sakamake Nejibana," the both called out as their blades glowed, transforming, water swirling around them and then they clashed again, prongs from the trident like end locking as they pushed against each other. When they weren't clashing physically, competing tidal waves of water were rushing around them as they tried to win. Neither went to activate Bankai, this was just a friendly training session, for fun.

Harry had achieved Bankai after the Quincy war and it had been very helpful for dealing with the overwhelming numbers usually sent to track them down, then again so was his Shikai and Ichigo's. Uryū had taken the challenge to be able to fire more and more arrows at once. Even Orihime had gotten involved, working on Tsubaki's attack speed to hit multiple opponents in rapid succession. She had also developed the Shiten Kōshun, a shield that could disperse an attack as a concentrated explosion that was returned along the attacks opposing trajectory. He had liked Orihime and cut the Shinigami who had killed her down with some rather borderline curses. She had reminded him a lot of Luna, one of the few from Britain he had kept in contact with until it had gotten too dangerous.

Harry cast Hadō #11, Tsuzuri Raiden, electrifying his blade and Nejibana leapt back, electricity and water were not a good mix if you were on the receiving end. Then they began mixing things up even more, introducing magic to the bout. Both looked forward to when he could manifest her in the real world and was strong enough to wield Bankai again.

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Sirius lay in his bed, staring at the white ceiling of the hospital. He was on a heavy potions regime to try and heal his body and mind, so he slept a lot, but he still felt a lot better than he had in years. His trial had been a shock, not just because he was finally receiving one, but because of everything that had come to light. Seeing Harry…his Godson had grown up so much. Even half out of his mind, he'd recognised the foreign cut to the robes he'd been wearing which was weird. No one seemed to know where he was though and that worried him. When the door opened he hoped it was Harry coming to see him only to stare as the last of his school friends hesitated in the doorway, face drawn from the full moon. "Mooney," he whispered, and Remus finally moved into his room.

"I saw the paper," Remus told him as he shut the door. "I...I'm so sorry Sirius, I should have…"

"Don't, there was nothing you could do. We didn't tell you about the swap, why shouldn't you believe it was me?"

"Because I knew you," Remus answered as he sat beside the bed and Sirius reached out to grab his hand, squeezing weakly.

"We thought you were the spy," he told him quietly.

"Is it true? Harry's memories proved Pettigrew was there?" Remus asked, obviously disbelieving and Sirius grinned.

"Yeah, should have heard him rip into the Wizengamot and Dumbledore. Just wish he'd stuck around," he admitted softly, and Remus offered a smile.

"I'm sure he'll get in contact if he went to all that trouble to get you a trial."

"I hope so."

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

It took a week for Harry to work up the courage to send Sirius a coded letter, alongside a letter he had received from Lord Black for his grandson. He was using Harry as an intermediary to ensure his own security, but Harry didn't mind. He was still in the hotel, not wanting to buy a place until he knew if he would be living with Sirius and Remus or not. It would be handy if they moved into Grimmauld Place since the wards there would help hide his training. He still wasn't entirely sure what to do about Sirius and Remus really, other than do his best to ensure they survived. Should he find a way to push Tonks in Remus' direction? Would they even fall in love during peace time or had it been the war that had defined their relationship. Who knew, maybe Sirius would find someone, and Harry would be replaced as his heir, not that he cared.

The closer it came to school time, the more he worked with Nejibana in either his inner world or the real world, trying to control his nerves. Seeing his agemates again…alive and not damaged by war…he didn't even really remember a lot of them after over a decade apart and on the run. For his birthday he spent the day exploring London and eating out, no training.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Sirius was practically bouncing as they sat in the muggle café. Finally, Harry had contacted them again with the offer of meeting here. He'd only been out of the hospital for two days and was still on a lot of potions, but he was happy to truly be free although sad he'd missed Harry's birthday.

"Hi," the young voice had him looking up and blinking as he found Harry standing beside the table, dressed in jeans, t-shirt and jacket.

"Harry…" Sirius wasn't sure what to do or say but he motioned to the empty chair and Harry dropped into it gracefully. Come to think of it, every move he'd made during the trial was graceful, no movement wasted. He saw him glance at Remus and smile.

"You're Remus Lupin, right?" But there was something about how he asked, like he already knew the answer.

Remus smiled and nodded. "It's very good to see you Harry. We were waiting on you to order," he handed over a menu which Harry scanned briefly. A waitress walked over so they ordered and then fell into awkward silence. The food arrived and they managed some meaningless chatter.

"Should we go back to my hotel?" the offer shocked both men.

"You're in a hotel?"

"Well I wasn't going to go back to the Dursley's," Harry shrugged. "We can talk there." So they followed Harry to a rather fancy hotel, finding the beautiful owl that had delivered Harry's letters sleeping in a cage.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Remus lay in his bed that night, mind a jumbled mess. He couldn't believe it and yet…every word had been truth. Harry was from the future, a very bleak one considering he had destroyed Voldemort. To hear he had married and had a son…though Harry hadn't given him any names, not wanting to interfere there and he was kind of glad about that. Just the idea…of finding a woman who could love him, despite his 'furry little problem', he'd never dreamed of it. He was glad to hear that he hadn't passed his curse on to their son. Hearing how Harry had been used and manipulated by Dumbledore, a man he had always looked up to…to find out that he had left Sirius to rot despite knowing he was innocent…he'd love to let Moony loose on him. Sirius was sleeping off several glasses of Fire whiskey in the other bedroom, he could hear him snoring, it had hit him even harder to hear everything Harry had gone through. Then to come back and have to try and change everything…he didn't think he'd have that kind of strength, but he knew they would both do anything to help him. Especially since Harry had no idea when his partner would have landed and couldn't contact him, apparently they had agreed this Ichigo would contact Harry if Harry wasn't already in Japan. Harry receiving mail from overseas wouldn't be suspicious, the Boy -Who-Lived was world famous. If Harry hadn't remembered when he received it everyone would brush it off as strange foreigners. Until he sent a letter then they would support Harry the best they could and apparently Harry had help too from his sword, which was odd but good for Harry.

_TBC….._


	4. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer: Not mine_

**Chapter 4**

Harry walked onto the platform with Sirius and Remus, all three ignoring the looks. All three were dressed as Muggles since they'd spend what remained of the summer with Harry in that world, Sirius getting used to his freedom and not wanting to move into the family home until the renovations were complete. They'd spent yesterday at the Black country seat for the reading of Arcturus' will and Sirius was still dealing with his grandfather's death. He hadn't gotten the chance to see the man since his release and that hurt. The funeral had been awkward with the Malfoy's there as well as several other distant relatives, most of whom had Death Eater ties but not even they would act at a funeral. Harry had been able to attend as he carried Black blood and was Sirius' heir. Sirius was now Lord Black and would be going straight to Gringotts from the station to get things moving on kicking certain people out of the family while bringing others in.

He had filled them in on the plan for the Sorting Feast and they both wanted to be there as back up but there was no way for them to do so. Harry would be the safest person in the castle, technically. That didn't put their minds at ease.

Harry was worried more about the train trip, meeting people he had known, had seen die…Hermione, Luna, so many people he hadn't seen for over a decade. But they wouldn't know him, he'd just be the Boy-Who-Lived to them. should he even try and make friends with them when he didn't plan to stay? He missed Ichigo, so much but there'd been no word yet. They must have been separated in the time stream or Ichigo would have found a way to contact him. He had Sirius and Remus but that didn't take away the loneliness after so long together.

"I hate letting you go alone," Sirius admitted softly, pulling Harry into a hug. Harry hugged him back.

"I'll be fine," he promised. "Nejibana has my back and the castle will too." Sirius let him go and Remus pulled him into a hug.

"Be careful pup," Remus whispered.

"Promise," he curled into the werewolf's warmth before turning and getting on the train. He was carrying no obvious luggage except a shoulder satchel. He'd left Hedwig with Sirius to keep her safe, just in case. He had his uniform, a few books, and pyjamas in the bag, anything else he needed would be brought tomorrow by Sirius and Remus. He found an empty compartment and settled in with a book. With his hair longer and straighter, no glasses and his scar all but gone he was hoping to avoid any confrontations. He waved out the window to the Marauders as the train set off and they waved back. He sat back and began reading up on basic physics. He was determined to ensure that when he moved to Japan, his grades would be good enough to get into Ichigo's class. It took twenty minutes for the door to open, but it wasn't Ron, it was Neville.

"C…Can I sit here?" He asked and Harry grinned.

"Sure. Need help with your trunk?" he offered, getting up to help put it up in the rack.

'Thanks."

"No problem. I'm Harry," he offered his hand.

"Neville," was the shy answer.

"Good to meet you. Excited about school?" Harry sat and gently drew Neville out into conversation. When Trevor tried to make a break for it Harry caught him, and they got him secured. When Hermione showed up, obviously upset, they invited her in as well. When the trolley came around Harry bought enough for all three of them and worked to tame down some of Hermione's enthusiasm so as not to overwhelm poor Neville. He wasn't at all surprised when the door was wrenched open to reveal Draco and Harry bit back a sigh. After everything, Draco was nothing more than a minor annoyance.

"Is it true?" he said. "They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment. So it's you, is it?"

"Yes," Harry answered, bored by the posturing of Draco and his bookends.

"Oh, this is Crabbe, and this is Goyle," Draco waved at them. "And my name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy." Neville grimaced and Draco rounded on him, sneering. "You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there." Draco held his hand out.

Hermione gasped in anger, but Harry stared into grey eyes. "No thank you. I despise bullies and those who think they are above others just because of their family name."

Draco went even paler than normal, though his cheeks flushed pink and he whirled around, storming out of the compartment and Harry sighed, leaning his head back.

"Are you really Harry Potter?" Hermione asked in shock and he nodded. "I know all about you, of course - I got a few extra books. for background reading, and you're in Modern Magical History and The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century.

"Am I?" said Harry, feeling exhausted already.

"Goodness, didn't you know, I'd have found out everything I could if it was me," she answered.

"Why? There's nothing in those books about me that is accurate."

"Of course there is! The author would have researched the facts."

"How?" he demanded, he was going to break her of her worship of the written word and authority a lot younger this time, maybe it would keep her alive longer. She'd survived the war; she hadn't survived peace. "I was the only survivor that night, no one has ever interviewed me for a book or article. The only time I have given an account was at my Godfathers trial. All that they wrote is speculation, assumptions on what happened."

"But…"

"Humans are fallible, humans write books," he shrugged and went back to his text. He was surprised that Ron never made an appearance but decided he that he wasn't going to worry about it. He liked the Weasley's, he'd just prefer to keep his distance this time, especially with how much they worshipped Dumbledore.

The compartment was relatively quiet, even after he put his book aside and drew out a deck of cards, drawing the other two into a game. Really, this was likely the last bit of peace he'd have for a while. All too soon the announcement was made that they were approaching the station and he left the compartment with Neville to let Hermione change before they swapped. Once again, Harry's robes were cut in a foreign fashion, in fact they weren't really robes but far closer to his Shinigami garb, much easier to move and fight in. the lose Hakama looked robe like as long as he was still, it was only once he moved that it was obvious they were a type of trouser. The kimono had the Hogwarts crest on it, and he was wearing black dress boot rather than tabi and waraji since they would look too much out of place, not to mention be a bit cold in Scotland.

"Those aren't standard robes," Hermione frowned as she studied them.

"No, I prefer the eastern style, much more comfortable and easier to move in," Harry offered as he got his satchel down. He slung it over his shoulder and headed out into the corridor as the others spilled out, chattering excitedly. Harry smiled as Hermione and Neville stuck with him, getting into a boat together when Hagrid led them down to the lake. Harry didn't wave, they hadn't met yet this time. They ducked as they went under the walls and then….Hogwarts. Harry closed his eyes as he felt the magic of the castle wash over him, welcoming him. He hadn't felt this the first time, the blocks had been too strong, it had taken dying and Nejibana to rip them away the first time, to let the castle recognise him and him, her. He wondered if the Castle had ever called to Tom like this, if he had ever heard her. Or had he already cut himself off too much even back then?

Harry followed the crowd into the castle as McGonagall opened the doors, fighting back the memories of a half ruined castle strewn with bodies and wounded.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room." As she spoke Harry glanced around, spotting a shock of red hair across the hall, so Ron was there. "The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history, and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honour. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours. The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting." Her eyes lingered on a few students and then she blinked when she saw Harry, his clothing looking not quite right but she continued. "I shall return when we are ready for you, please wait quietly." With that she left them alone.

Harry listened to the nervous chatter and smiled at Neville who managed a shaky one in return. The power of the castle thrummed through him, he could feel her eagerness and wondered if Dumbledore could too, did he know what was coming?

"Now, form a line," Professor McGonagall told the first years as she returned, "and follow me."

Harry had never imagined he would see the Great Hall like this again, such a strange and splendid place. It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in mid-air over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. The tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting. Professor McGonagall led the first years up here, so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone misty silver. It was all exactly how he remembered it.

Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty. For a few seconds, there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth - and the hat began to sing:

"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty, but don't judge on what you see, I'll eat myself if you can find a smarter hat than me. You can keep your bowlers black, Your top hats sleek and tall, For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat and I can cap them all. There's nothing hidden in your head The Sorting Hat can't see, so try me on and I will tell you Where you ought to be. You might belong in Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart, their daring, nerve, and chivalry set Gryffindors apart; you might belong in Hufflepuff, where they are just and loyal, those patient Hufflepuffs are true and unafraid of toil; or yet in wise old Ravenclaw, if you've a ready mind, where those of wit and learning, will always find their kind; or perhaps in Slytherin you'll make your real friends, those cunning folk use any means to achieve their ends. So put me on! Don't be afraid! And don't get in a flap! You're in safe hands (though I have none) For I'm a Thinking Cap!"

The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song and Harry couldn't help smiling slightly. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again. Professor McGonagall stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment. "When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Abbott, Hannah!"

Hannah stumbled out of line, put on the hat, which fell right down over her eyes, and sat down. A moments pause - "HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat.

"Bones, Susan!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat again, and Susan scuttled off to sit next to Hannah.

"Boot, Terry!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Brocklehurst, Mandy" went to Ravenclaw too, but "Brown, Lavender" became the first new Gryffindor, just as he remembered. "Bulstrode, Millicent" then became a Slytherin.

"Finch-Fletchley, Justin!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Finnigan, Seamus."

"Gryffindor!"

"Granger, Hermione!"

Hermione almost ran to the stool and jammed the hat eagerly on her head. "GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the hat.

When Neville Longbottom was called, he looked back at Harry who grinned at him and Neville nodded back, this time he didn't fall on the way to his sorting. The hat took a long time to decide with Neville, but not as long as he remembered. When it finally shouted, "GRYFFINDOR," Neville ran off still wearing it, and had to jog back amid gales of laughter to give it to "MacDougal, Morag."

Malfoy swaggered forward when his name was called and got his wish at once: the hat had barely touched his head when it screamed, "SLYTHERIN!" Why, Harry didn't know, Draco wouldn't know cunning if it bit him in the arse. Malfoy went to join his friends Crabbe and Goyle, looking pleased with himself.

It felt like an eternity but finally. "Potter, Harry!" As Harry stepped forward, whispers suddenly broke out like little hissing fires all over the hall.

"Potter, did she say?"

"The Harry Potter?"

He ignored the voices as he stepped up to the stool and sat down, the hat dropping over his head. There was silence and then a huff of frustration. "I can't sort you if you don't drop your barriers Mr Potter."

"No need, I claim what you hold as is my right. Gryffindor's blade." He pulled the hat off and plunged his hand in, fingers wrapping around the hilt, he drew the sword from the hat and stood up, the blade gleaming in the candle light. He lifted it above his head to the gasps and cries of shock and then plunged the blade into a specific stone in the floor. The castle shuddered as the blade began to glow.

"NO!" Dumbledore screamed as the wards were ripped from him, the magic settling over Harry. Immediately he began altering the wards, bringing them back up to full power. Quirrell screamed, writhing in agony as the wards attacked him and the soul he held. Snape groaned and gripped his left arm.

Harry lifted his head and met rage filled blue eyes. "No more old man. This school is not yours to play with children's lives. As Lord Gryffindor, I strip you of your position. None who bare the mark of the false Slytherin will be allowed on the grounds. This school will again be what it was meant to be, a safe place for children to learn. BEGONE!" he cried and Quirrell screamed, convulsing, as the spirit of Riddle was ripped from his body. Harry summoned Nejibana and lunged, plunging her sealed form through the sprit, the only one other than the ghosts able to see as the Gates of Hell appeared to claim the soul. Magicals could see pluses, not Hollows, Shinigami, or any of the various gates used by the afterlife. "Voldemort, otherwise known as Tom Riddle, is no more. Severus Snape, you have one hour to leave the grounds, or the wards will eject you, you may take only what belongs to you. Albus Dumbledore, the same goes for you." Nejibana vanished back into his soul, the only reason he wasn't panting was the castle steadying him, ensuring he would do what needed to be done.

_TBC…_


	5. Chapter 5

_Disclaimer: Not mine_

**Chapter 5**

Harry sat on the window ledge, looking out over the now flourishing forest. He would be fourteen this year, Ichigo would be fifteen…and still no word from him. Had something gone wrong? Had Harry returned to the past alone? He refused to believe that.

In three years, Hogwarts had undergone massive changes. A lot of people had been angry, but no one could doubt the increasing grades of the students. Some subjects had been dropped from the curriculum while a lot had been added. Hogwarts now offered the core subjects in a non-magical education with others being offered as electives. That had brought the Purebloods done on him but there was nothing they could do about it. At Hogwarts, Harry was King of the Castle. Putting a werewolf in as Headmaster had made them even madder and he had happily pointed out that if they didn't like it, they could go to another school. Since Hogwarts was the only one in Britain…well, very few had left. The teachers had definitely liked the increasing skills in essay writing that taking English provided.

The segregation between the Houses was pretty much gone, Slytherin had been the hardest but with Snape and Dumbledore gone, Voldemort permanently dead and then the older years eventually graduating things had vastly improved. Kids now had friends in all Houses and except for the Feasts sat with each other at any table. With Sirius on the Wizengamot as well, things had were going quite well. Ousting Fudge and his Toad had taken some planning but with Amelia as Minister there was no bribery tolerated.

All in all, he was leaving the British Wizarding World in far better condition than he had thought he would. Because he was leaving the year. The new school year in Japan was starting in April and he had submitted all the necessary paperwork to attend Karakura High School in the same grade as Ichigo, despite being younger. He'd gotten his grades up to an acceptable level for that year and there may have been a little magical help to ensure he was accepted.

He was glad to be leaving, while the Triwizard Tournament would be lacking Riddle's interference some idiots had still decided to revive it. Remus had ensured there would be no dragons or freezing lakes in February. It would be a lot more spectator friendly than the last two tasks of the farce Harry had been forced into and safer. That was the only reason Remus and Harry had agreed to it. No Goblet of Fire either, it was ridiculous to risk the magic of students. He was just glad he'd be long gone before it began. Sirius and Remus weren't happy to not be going with him, but he was legally an adult and they were needed in Britain. He'd purchased an entire apartment building, cheaply, had it renovated and claimed the Penthouse for himself while the others were being rented out. It had cost less than buying a renovated house would have since the building had been almost condemned.

He was a bit sad leaving Hermione, Neville, Luna, Daphne, Susan, Cedric and Tracy behind; they were the closest friends he had this time around, but he wasn't as close to them as he had been Hermione and co the first time around. He'd held himself back, meaning to or not, since he had always planned to leave. Then again…if Soul Society became an annoyance, then it was possible he'd end up back in Britain with Ichigo and anyone else they wanted to keep safe.

It would be odd, not living in the castle but he still didn't trust the government enough to live even at a totally renovated Grimmauld Place. Even Sirius mostly lived at the castle, staying with Remus. There were no rules against the Headmaster having a roommate. The old Black town home was only used when he had to entertain for Society.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry groaned as Sirius hugged him tightly and Remus laughed before moving in for his own hug. "Call as soon as you get in," the werewolf demanded, and Harry nodded.

"I promise. I'm going to miss my flight if you don't let go."

They let him go and he grabbed his bag before heading through security, turning to wave goodbye before he vanished.

"He'll be okay, won't he?" Sirius asked quietly and Remus offered a smile to his oldest friend.

"He's not a child, he is the veteran of multiple wars, even without the safety provided by Hogwarts. Even so…it is hard to let him go alone. I think that's why he made sure we have the positions we do, to keep us from following and coming to Soul Society's attention," Remus admitted.

"Yeah, that makes sense. Wish I could be mad about it but that's just how Harry is."

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry stared up at the high school he had never attended last time around. He took a deep breath and tightened his grip on the strap of his satchel before walking through the gates. He hadn't gone near any of the places he had once known, not wanting to confront the memories. Even then, he had felt Ichigo the moment he had arrived, his untrained power flooded the area but even through it he had managed to detect Ishida and Urahara's shop. He made his way to the office to receive everything he needed, including his class number and he made his way towards it, heart in his throat as he realised he was getting closer and closer to Ichigo.

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Ichigo turned and settled in his seat as the class was called to order. Standing beside Ochi-sensei was a stranger. Not surprising for the first day of the school year, the high school drew from several middle schools, he didn't recognise everyone in the class. But there was something…almost familiar…it didn't make sense.

"Class, this is Potter Harry, a transfer student from England. Please help him as he adjusts to living here," she introduced and the teen bowed to the class before taking the empty desk beside Ichigo, offering him a shy smile and Ichigo nodded in return. When their eyes met it felt so strange, like he should know him. He shrugged it off and focused on class.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Sitting beside an Ichigo who had shown no recognition was harder than he'd expected, even with Nejibana's soothing presence. He carefully examined the feel of Ichigo's power, buried deep he could feel the bright thrum of his Quincy heritage and then the Hollowfied shadow of Zangetsu. Both were still buried deep within Ichigo, just another bit of proof that this was the present Ichigo and not his. At least the class work was interesting, helping to keep him from focusing on other things. When they broke for lunch, Harry hesitated, not sure what to do.

"Hey, you want to eat with us?" Ichigo offered and Harry considered for a second before smiling.

"Thank you," he offered and Ichigo shrugged, leading him over to two guys he'd only met briefly before, during a lull in the war. They headed up onto the roof and sat to eat.

"So, what brings you to Karakura, Potter-san?" one of the boys, Keigo he thought, asked.

"A change. I thought attending high school in another country would be a good experience and since I already spoke Japanese the choice was easy," Harry answered easily. They asked a few more questions about what it was like in Britain and he asked about like in Karakura. He felt Ichigo occasionally staring at him and it was enough to give him hope. When lunch ended they headed back to class for the rest of the day. At the end of the day he walked with them from the school, walking half way to the clinic before saying his goodbyes to turn down a side street.

"Potter-san?"

"Yes Kurosaki-san?" it was hard making himself be formal with him,

"Want to meet here tomorrow and walk with us to school?"

"That would be great, thanks. And my name's Harry," he offered. Yeah, it was way too soon but he was a foreigner after all. He waved and made himself walk away, back to his lonely apartment. He smiled and waved at the guard as he entered the private elevator and grinned when he found Hedwig waiting for him. She had flown to Japan to avoid quarantine and he had insisted she take her time; it wasn't a short journey. He gave her some treats and got himself something to eat before settling in to do his homework.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Ichigo lay on his back, arms under his head, as he stared up at his ceiling. It was weird…he felt like he'd just…clicked with Potter….Harry, like he knew him. But he didn't and it didn't make sense. He glanced out the window at the full moon, wishing he could sleep….

Ichigo gasped, bolting upright, eyes wildly scanning his surroundings as his heart pounded, two voices in his head trying to calm him. Home…he was home….he'd been somewhere….Geta-boshi's lab…the machine…time-travel. He got up and stared at his phone, seeing the date, before he'd met Rukia. He forced his breathing to calm and then froze….Harry….Harry was here! He must have come back first, why else would he be here? He threw on clothes and then dashed out the window. Harry was a lot better than him at hiding his power but Ichigo knew him too well for him to hide completely. He knew better than to try any Shinigami or Hollow techniques while in his body, so he was forced to use Hirenkyaku, not his best skill at all, but it got him up and onto the balcony of an apartment. He could feel the magical wards on the place and smiled at the familiarity. He touched the door, feeling the wards happily greet him and then Harry was running into the hall, dressed only in loose sleep pants, green eyes wide and Ichigo grinned.

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Harry woke as he felt the wards sing and he frowned before his eyes widened and he threw back the covers, scrambling out into the main room and there was he was, grinning at him from the sixth floor balcony….Ichigo. He slammed the door open and Ichigo was there, pulling him into his arms, holding tight. "It's you…you're back…" Harry gasped, eyes roaming familiar features. His appearance hadn't changed since the afternoon, but he carried himself differently and all Harry had to do was look into his eyes to see the grown man staring back

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry you were alone," Ichigo whispered, leaning down and Harry met him, the kiss soft and sweat.

"I was worried something went wrong," Harry admitted. He pulled Ichigo further into the apartment, shutting the balcony door.

"How long have you been back?"

"Since just before first year," Harry admitted as they collapsed on the couch together. It took a few seconds to settle, they fit together differently now since they were both still growing, though Harry was considerably taller than he had been first time around at this age.

"How are you here? Alone?"

"It's a long story," Harry answered. "There's no war though, Riddle has been gone since that year," he assured him and Ichigo nodded, obviously relieved.

"So only two mad men to deal with," he grinned, and Harry chuckled. Just Aizen and Yhwach to deal with.

"I missed you so much, it's been horrible waiting to hear from you."

"I don't know why we came back so far apart," Ichigo admitted. "I'm just glad you're here now."

"Me too," Harry closed his eyes, just soaking up the familiar, much missed, presence.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Ichigo smiled down at him, seeing how different he looked, obviously time travel had enabled him to fix certain health issues much younger. He reached out to trace his scar, it had faded until it was barely noticeable, and he was glad. It would be interesting to see which of them ended up taller this time around. He wanted nothing more than to stay where he was and forget about the world, but he couldn't. "Does anyone know?"

"Just Padfoot and Mooney. I was tempted to contact Urahara, but I remember what you said he was like at this point."

"Yeah, but hiding this from him is not going to be easy," Ichigo admitted. "We've got a month and a half until Rukia arrives. Dealing with that is going to be hard, the last thing I need is her sharing her powers with me again."

Harry laughed. "Yeah, you'll either blow up or have no control at all."

"Hey!" he sighed. "Ishida could be a problem; my Spirit Ribbon will be red now and he'll notice."

"I've been working on that," Harry summoned a box from the shelf across the room. He tossed it to Ichigo who opened it to find a ring.

"Shouldn't you be done on one knee?" Ichigo teased and Harry rolled his eyes.

"It should hide the change in your power levels, spirit ribbon, anything like that."

"Thanks," that was a big worry dealt with. "Still be careful."

"Promise." He kissed Harry again because he could. Part of him was glad Harry had arrived first, he didn't think he would have coped without the younger male at his side. "Wait…how are you in my class?"

Harry laughed, "Lots of studying, I officially skipped a grade. Magic was only used to ensure I was in your class. Hogwarts now teaches non-magical subjects." He went on to explain everything and Ichigo was proud of everything he had accomplished. Then they settled in to begin planning.

"Geta-boshi had to have had several plans to stick Rukia in that Gigai, there were too many variables to rely on that particular Hollow attack and her giving me her powers."

"So, what? We deal with the Hollow and then wait and see?"

"The others developed powers after facing Hollows…I ran into one before that attack. If we play it right, I could 'develop' my own Shinigami powers under the stress of an attack."

"What about me? As soon as I'm noticed it won't take much to realise I'm a wizard. Are we keeping who I was secret?"

"As much as I want to let you talk to Rukia and Ukitake about it…"

"As long as Aizen's alive it's probably not smart," Harry finished for him. The Kaien part of him hated not telling them, but it was safer for everyone. "And us? I am not waiting till Aizen is done with to claim you," he warned.

"Agreed, there's no way we're waiting that long," he promised. "Too fast and it will seem strange. At this age I never showed interest in either gender, I'll need to wok at that. Until then, I can sneak over at night. Don't suppose you've come up with something to replace my combat badge?"

"Not without stealing from Urahara," Harry admitted. It was an annoyance, but they were both stuck in their bodies until they could work something out. Harry had magic to fall back on, Ichigo was stuck with what little Quincy skills he'd learnt and short bursts of Hollow abilites. It left them vulnerable, something neither liked. Harry shifted so he was kneeling on the couch and leaned in for another, more passionate kiss. "I love you."

"I love you," Ichigo replied when they parted. They spent the night talking and kissing but nothing more, Harry was physically only fourteen after all. Having to pretend they didn't know each other well at school was going to be hell.

_TBC…_


	6. Chapter 6

_Disclaimer: Not mine_

**Chapter 6**

Remus smiled as a familiar snowy owl alighted on the perch by his desk. Harry had called when he had arrived but then he'd been busy preparing for school and dealing with the memories being back in Karakura brought up. Remus was busy with his duties and Sirius had been wrangling with the Wizengamot and the Pureblood old guard who had decided to make one of their attempts at getting their power back. He reached out and took the letter from her, opening the envelope and then grinning at the short note within. It was a relief to know Harry was no longer alone.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Becoming 'friends' was easier than they had thought it would be. Second day of school and Shakespeare was mentioned, letting them bond over the Bard. No one needed to know it had actually ben Ichigo who got Harry to read the plays. He'd known Hermione was named for one of his characters but since he'd never done high school he'd never read them, now they were part of the Hogwarts curriculum as well. Keigo and Mizuiro had groaned, obviously not Shakespeare fans. It helped that Harry's route to school intersected with Ichigo's. And then Ichigo asked Harry if he'd help Yuzu with her English homework and Harry agreed.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry looked at the clinic with attached house and took a deep breath. It had been years since he'd been here…and yet he was a stranger to those within. He could feel the twins, their powers barely registering. Isshin was in the clinic and his powers were slowly recovering. He had never thought much of the man for the way he had lied to his children and 'trained' Ichigo. All three had died early on, the twins had been targeted by the Second Division after the war, Karin's growing powers especially had led to them being killed. Isshin had died during the Quincy War, protecting his daughters until Harry had arrived, Ichigo had been on the front but Harry had been in town to recover from an injury. He had saved the girls but been too late for their Father. After his sister's deaths, Ichigo had shown no mercy towards the Onmitsukidō, personally taking out Suì-Fēng, despite her old ties to Yoruichi.

Ichigo was having a hard time adapting to his family being alive and Harry knew that was why he had been offered as a tutor, so that he could be over often to help him deal with it. Harry had it easier, he hadn't made any really close friends outside of those who fought in the war which meant he only had to deal with people he knew at school. Chad had accepted him into their group easily enough. Uryū would be difficult but he didn't want them torn apart by thinking he'd gone over to the enemy. Orihime would be interesting, he knew she had always had a crush on Ichigo, would she still choose to fight if he was with Ichigo? Her powers would be needed, hopefully they could knock some sense into her over attacking much earlier this time, she had been a liability several times because of her lack of intent behind her attacks.

Harry took another deep breath and rang the doorbell, Ichigo must have sense his presence but had been given him time. Sure enough he opened the door, understanding in his eyes. He ushered Harry inside where he slipped out of his shoes and followed him inside.

"Yuzu!" Ichigo called and she rounded the corner. "This is Harry," he introduced, and she smiled.

"Thank you very much for helping me."

"It's no problem at all," he promised, following her to the table. "Let's see what is giving you trouble." They sat and got to work.

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Isshin let himself into the house, seeing Yuzu and a stranger at the table. So this was the foreign transfer student he'd heard his son mention to the girls...and he had not denied friendship when Yuzu had brought it up. That made him happy, his son had always had trouble making friends. He had noticed a change in Ichigo since the first day of High School, but it was more than just growing up. It was like he had grown up overnight, his eyes reflecting an age his body didn't, but he wasn't sure why. He had checked with Kisuke, but he had reported no sign of anything having come near him, he hadn't run into anything beyond the normal Pluses that tended to follow him home for help.

"Daddy's home!" he called, and the boy turned, surprising him, because his eyes were the same as Ichigo's, too old.

"Ugh, how embarrassing," Karin groaned.

Ichigo walked downstairs and Isshin attacked, his son blocking and knocking him aside. "Knock it off, we've got company," he shook his head and went to sit at the table. "Ignore the idiot Harry."

"Okay…"

"Would you like to stay for dinner Harry?" Yuzu asked as they packed the books away.

"I wouldn't want to impose."

"It's no problem at all," she smiled at him and he nodded.

Isshin watched as the boy offered to help cook the meal, moving easily about the kitchen.

"Dad, leave him alone," Ichigo warned before moving to set the table.

That was very interesting.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry chuckled at Keigo as they walked only for the four to stop as a bunch of guys surrounded them.

"Uh Oh," he glanced at Harry who just shrugged.

"Get them!" the leader called, and the majority went for Ichigo.

The other guys were shocked when Harry easily handled the one who had gone after him before wading in to help them and then Ichigo. Who knew the new guy could fight? Soon they were all down on the ground, unconscious or groaning and they moved on.

"You can fight?" Mizuiro asked as they walked.

"My Dad was a cop, so was one of my guardians after he died. They thought I should know how to protect myself."

"Good to know. If you're going to be hanging with us, you better be prepared for lots of fights."

"Oh?" Harry played ignorant and they nodded, leaning in to whisper.

"Ichigo and Chad are always being targeted for their looks and because they've never been beaten," Keigo told him.

"For their looks?" Harry shook his head. "Idiots."

"Yep, keeps life interesting."

Harry laughed but waved as he split off to head home, knowing Ichigo would be around in a few hours, once his family were asleep. When the building was renovated Harry had a training room put in underneath by some local magicals. It wasn't quite as big as Kisuke's, but it was big enough. it gave them the necessary room to train their bodies back to their old skills. Harry was still working on a way to get them out of their bodies because they were worried what they looked like, had they remained adults in soul form or had they de-aged there as well?

Things between them were going well, neither in a rush to get their relationship back to a full physical level due to the ages of their bodies. Harry may legally be an adult, but his body was still a bit short of fifteen. Despite spending almost four years apart they had meshed back together as if never parted. Their friendship had garnered some surprise from classmates who had been in school with Ichigo before but now it was just accepted. They made sure to spend time out of school with friends, Ichigo's family and alone so that when they seemed to begin a relationship it would seem a natural progression of their friendship. Though, it likely wouldn't be able to 'begin' until after Ichigo met Rukia.

Deciding to do about her was not easy. Ichigo needed to meet her but she had to win the fight with the Hollow that night, to avoid her trying to give him her powers. That fight was the perfect opportunity for Ichigo to 'develop' his own powers, if they could just work out a way to kick him out of his body.

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Harry leant as if to point something out to Ichigo. "We're being followed, Kisuke," he breathed as Ichigo picked up the book from the stall.

"Sense any Hollows? Now's as good a time as any," he answered just as soft, trying to sense anything. He'd gotten better over the years at sensing others without having to use the Spirit Ribbons, but he still wasn't the best at it.

"About two blocks east."

Ichigo thought it over. "Park, good a place as any." They began wandering that way from the street fair until Harry grinned and did a cartwheel across the grass, earning a headshake from Ichigo. Anyone watching should just see two teens having fun on a day off from school. They walked over to a bench and sat to chat, Ichigo now easily able to sense the approaching Hollow. They heard it roar and Ichigo frowned, looking around as if confused.

"Ichigo?" Harry asked at normal volume.

"Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Harry asked, it would seem too strange for them both to hear the Hollow, but it was harder than he'd thought it would be to pretend.

"That!" Ichigo scrambled up and Harry followed, looking around wildly, not flinching as the Hollow took a swipe that missed him by a mile. "Run!" Ichigo grabbed his arm and ran, forcing Harry to run too. "Some sort of monster!" Ichigo yelped, yanking Harry around, the two skidding across the grass, separating.

"Ichigo?" Harry scrambled to his feet, looking around wildly, fighting the instinct to call on Nejibana.

"Left!" he yelled, and Harry threw himself to the left.

"Okay… I believe you!" Harry yelled as a trashcan was flattened.

"Nice to know!" Ichigo purposely rolled a tad too slow, taking the glancing hit.

"Ichigo!" Harry yelled in alarm as he went flying. He ran to his side and crouched over him even as Ichigo began pushing himself up.

"I'm okay, the old man hits harder," he winced, a hand on his ribs. "Move!" He scrambled to get up, putting himself between it and Harry, grabbing a bit of wood to wield. Right before it reached them, it vanished, both recognising the work of Kido.

"Ichigo?"

"it's gone…."

"Let's get out of here," Harry wrapped an arm around Ichigo's waist, and they left the park.

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Kisuke watched the two boys as they retreated, the Hollow had been very easy to dispatch. That was interesting, Ichigo could now hear and see Hollows, his friend hadn't though he'd seen the footprint. The friend was interesting…if he wasn't mistaken the boy was magical. He wouldn't recognise it if he hadn't spent so long in the Living World, he'd even visited the local magical shopping area a handful of times. Exposed to enough and the teen would likely gain the ability to see Hollows since wizards could already see Pluses. Perhaps….Aizen would never expect them to enlist the aid of a wizard, with some training to use magic against spiritual beings, he may be useful, at least as backup. Though…didn't they usually attend magical school until they were seventeen? So why wasn't he? He needed to speak with Isshin, find out exactly who the boy was so he could look into him.

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Ichigo kicked the punk, feeling a major sense of déjà vu, although Harry hadn't been there the first time around, casually sitting on one of the guys to keep him down as Ichigo berated them over knocking over the flower shrine. They accepted the young girl's thanks and promised to bring her more flowers after school.

"Soon?"

"Tonight," Ichigo agreed and Harry leant against him briefly before they finished the walk to school.

_TBC…_


	7. Chapter 7

_Disclaimer: Not mine_

_So now we've reached the anime timeline._

**Chapter 7**

Ichigo collapsed on his bed, quickly texting Harry. So his memory wasn't perfect, and he'd gotten his days wrong. Shiro found it hilarious while Ossan just suggested meditating on his memories. So much had happened when he had first become a Shinigami though and he honestly hadn't thought about it in years. He lifted the leather cord he now wore around his neck and fingered the charm on the end of it, smiling softly. They'd finally gotten it right and had barely had the chance to test them, but they worked.

Thankfully their soul forms matched their current bodies close enough it shouldn't raise any questions. The interesting thing was that their clothing had changed from what they had worn before. They still both wore black hakama though Harry now had lightweight boots instead of the traditional footwear which Ichigo still wore. Beside that though, the changes were move obvious. Hopefully the clothes would be explained away by his being human since Rukia wouldn't be giving him her powers.

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Harry grinned as he met up with Ichigo who rolled his eyes, but they said nothing as they met up with the others, walking the rest of the way to school. They day passed slowly, both anticipating the coming night. Harry hated that he wouldn't be there, but he never slept at the Kurosaki house and it would be strange for him to do so on this night. He couldn't even watch from a distance as they knew Urahara would be nearby, waiting, as well as those dumb camera fly's Aizen used. Harry had warded his own apartment against surveillance as well as a few other key locations, but he couldn't ward the Kurosaki house and clinic beyond some basic protection wards.

After school they slipped away to a secluded section of the park closest to Harry's where he set up a quick ward before Ichigo was pulling him in close to kiss.

"You'll be careful," Harry whispered and Ichigo smirked, making him roll his eyes.

"I'll be fine, we have how many contingency plans?" Ichigo teased.

"I should have stayed over before now, then my being there tonight could be arranged."

"I know you; you'll be there in an instant if needed. Geta-boshi will be there and Aizen will be watching. We agreed the bastard can't know about Nejibana yet."

"I can't wait till I don't have to hide being able to see Hollows and then we can work with getting me knocked out of my body too. Besides, you're the one who looks like his twin, if anyone is assumed to be his reincarnation, it'll be you."

Ichigo nodded, it had happened the first time around. His appearance had shocked those who had known Kaien as they hadn't known he was a Shiba, not until his Dad had revealed himself in the battle against Aizen. This time Ukitake would get better closure, able to speak with Harry at length, unless Soul Society tried to turn on them quicker since Ichigo wouldn't be sacrificing his powers in the war.

"Go," Harry whispered, kissing him again before dropping the ward and apparating back to his apartment or more likely the training room to take his frustration out there.

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Kisuke looked at the information he had compiled thanks to some contacts amongst Tokyo's magical population. The newspaper articles and photos were very interesting indeed. Harry James Potter, Lord Gryffindor. A very interesting young man indeed. Legally an adult at age eleven because of magic. The boy had practically rebuilt the British Wizarding World signal handily all while doing his best to avoid the press. The most recent headlines had been of his leaving Britain for foreign shores, ones not listed though guesses ranged from America to Russia. So what had brought the young man to Japan? With his magic it was less surprising he had ended up in Karakura once in Japan as he could likely sense something about the town as well as see the plus souls. Likely he would soon be able to see Hollows and even Shinigami, even without the daily exposure to Ichigo's uncontrolled power. And wasn't that an interesting friendship. He'd watched the boy from a distance his whole life, had cursed himself for being too slow to save Masaki, had seen the boy change from the bubbly, happy child into the always scowling teen. Friendship did not come easily to the eldest Kurosaki child and yet they had bonded so swiftly. Perhaps because they were similar, though neither knew it, both born to be weapons, both with tragedy in their pasts.

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Ichigo sat at his desk, heart racing, as he waited. Soon…he could feel the Hollow not too far away and that meant Rukia would appear any minute. She would be alive and so fiery, not like how he had last seen her, skin crimson with blood, eyes dull... he shook the memories off and forced his attention back to his homework. Once done he flopped on his back on his bed, not changing since he didn't want to meet her in his pyjamas.

He looked up as a familiar black butterfly cut across his room, turning his head to watch as Rukia stepped through the wall itself above his desk. "Who are you?" he demanded, unsurprised when she didn't answer, hand on her Zanpakutō, eyes scanning his room. He scrambled back. "Who are you? What do you want?" he demanded.

"It's near…."

"What are you talking about?!" he launched himself forward, feeling his foot connect, knocking her down. Knowing her enjoyment of knocking him around, that kick felt really good. He flipped his light on and glared down at her. "First you scare the living daylights out of me, then you ignore me? I'm asking you who you are," he snapped.

She turned to face him, obviously shocked. "Y-You…You can see me? But wait…you just kicked me…"

"Huh? What are you babbling about? Of course I can see you."

She stood up, moving closer to him and it took everything he had not to hug her. "You were the one in town earlier, weren't you?" she asked as she stared at him and he saw it, the slight widening of her eyes as she really looked and saw just who he looked like. He wished he could say something about that, but he couldn't.

"You just noticed?" he pulled back as she reached up to his face despite the instinct to remain still.

"Strange… People usually can't see me…" she grabbed his face, moving it side to side and he slapped her hand away. She stepped back, staring at him seriously before nodding, coming to a decision. "I am…a Soul Reaper," she announced as if he was meant to know what that meant.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry pulled back the curtains, staring in the direction of the Kurosaki house, he could feel the wards he'd placed, feel the Hollow at their edges. He could also feel Rukia's familiar presence close to Ichigo and hoped it was going alright. He wished he could be there for him, Ichigo had been forced to face his dead loved ones alone so far, other than his school friends. Harry'd at least had Sirius and Remus before having to go to school, though seeing the two men had been painful as well.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"So you're a Shinigami and you've come all the way from Soul Society in order to exorcise evil demons," Ichigo paraphrased. He had no desire to be subjected to her horrible artwork or a binding Kidō. "So that monster today was a demon and it attacked the girl."

"Correct," she agreed as he felt the Hollow moving closer, hadn't it taken longer last time?

"I've never seen a Shinigami before," he argued even as the soul he'd picked up earlier floated into the room. It was hard, acting like he had no control like he'd had at this age, picking up ghosts. He had no plans to cart around an unsealed Zangetsu though, no one would question him being sealed though since he had never met another Shinigami who was continually in Shikai.

She drew her blade and he tensed, ready to defend himself because that would be expected.

"Oh…." The ghost gasped as the hilt pressed into his forehead and Ichigo listened as Rukia lied to him about Soul Society. How did they do it? Especially those who had lived in the outer districts.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Kisuke slipped into place, eyeing the Kurosaki home. It appeared he had been right; the young Shinigami was within with Ichigo and the Hollow was moving ever closer. For now, he would only observe, see if he could work out what Aizen was up to, but should anyone truly be at risk of death then he would act. He was interested as he found he could feel a set of weak wards around the block, obviously young Potter's work. They wouldn't stop a Hollow, Wizarding Magic could only do so at the highest level, but they may slow one down. Likely they were there for more mortal threats. He did wonder if Potter had told Ichigo, or had simply set the wards up to protect his 'muggle' friend and his family. There were wards all over Karakura, one more set was unlikely to be noticed by the authorities, unless he'd set them around all of the friends? Then again, the authorities seemed to mostly ignore the town and its weird happenings so perhaps they did not care, especially since a foreign Lord was the one doing the protecting, a complaint could turn into a diplomatic incident. Kisuke tightened his grip on Benihime as the Hollow screamed, lumbering into view.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Ichigo heard the scream and stiffened, freezing, eyes wide. "Did you hear that?" he demanded, looking around wildly.

"Hear what?" Rukia asked in confusion even as he moved for his door. He felt the Hollow in the street, how could she not even past his power? They heard a crash and a young voice scream.

Ichigo ran and pulled his door open and she gasped as power blasted them only for Ichigo to lunge and catch Yuzu. "Yuzu!" he quickly stood with her in his arms, settling her on his bed, pulling off his uniform jacket to stop the bleeding.

"Ichi-nii…..Karin…" she whimpered, staring up at him threw pain filled, teary eyes.

"I'll find her," he promised, running out after Rukia. He saw Isshin collapsed against the wall out of the corner of his eye, but he heard Karin cry out in pain and rushed out of the hole in the wall to find her being held by the Hollow, Rukia scrambling to her feet. Without him to distract it, the Hollow must have dodged the attack that had freed Karin the first time. he grabbed a chair and lunged, smashing it into the Hollows arm and getting a brief flash of memory, huh, he'd forgotten he'd done that before.

"Stay back!" Rukia yelled, seeing him.

"Karin!" Ichigo smashed the arm again, focusing his Reiatsu as he smashed the chair into it again and the Hollow roared, hand spasming open, dropping Karin into his now empty arms. Ichigo turned and darted for the house, setting her down beside Isshin before moving back to watch Rukia fight. He needed the right opportunity to make the plan work. She went down again and the Hollow lunged so Ichigo yelled and picked up a pole to hit it with, it turned and lashed out and he twisted to dodge….not quite fast enough, triggering the charm around his neck.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Rukia's eyes widened in horrified shock as the boy was knocked flying…one that rolled and lay still and then another that scrabbled to his feet. She had to act fast before…..where was his Chain of Fate? And that was when she realised his clothing looked at least partially like Shihakushō…how was that possible? And sure enough, there was a blade across his back and then her eyes opened even wider….another, small, blade on his hip! Who was he? What was he?

She watched him blink and look down at himself in confusion. "Look out!" She yelled as she got to her feet and he threw himself to the side, moving faster now. She got to her feet and groaned, sinking back down. "Break the mask!"

He glanced at her and nodded, drawing the katana on his back. "Right."

The Hollow laughed at them. "I will devour your soul boy and then the oth…" it cried out in pain as he slashed through its arm and then a leg and while it was off balance the sword slammed through the mask, purifying the Hollow.

She watched him pant a little before putting the katana back and rushing over to her.

"Are you alright Shinigami?" he asked, kneeling at her side to check her wounds.

"My name isn't Shinigami," she told him as he pulled her up, an arm around her waist. "I am Kuchiki Rukia."

"Kurosaki Ichigo," he offered in return.

"I am sorry…I could not save you."

"What? What do you mean?"

"Your body is over there, but your Chain of Fate is not connected." Then again, she could not see the remains of one either, had it already Encroached that far? He should be screaming in agony if that was case. She needed to send him to Soul Society, fast.

"Don't worry about me, you're the one who's hurt," he chided, getting her onto the couch. He went outside and she saw him stare down at his body, obviously curious. He reached down and poked the chest only to yelp and then his body was sitting up, gasping for air.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Kisuke watched in shock. That…had not gone at all how he had expected.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry slumped on his couch in relief. The Hollow was gone, and no one had died. The first hurdled had been safely passed.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Aizen watched the footage and smirked, he was a very interesting child. Though it was a surprise that the boy had manifested powers without the nudge of Kuchiki's. How would Urahara react to this?

_TBC…_

_Is there somewhere to find transcripts or something? Had to re-watch the episode to get sections of the dialogue between them. Yeah, this is heading AU fast for Bleach, but there are still some dialogue that will remain the same and I don't want to have to watch the episode for it. _


	8. Chapter 8

_Disclaimer: not mine_

**Chapter 8**

Ichigo opened his eyes to find himself in his bed, he stretched out his senses finding the twins in their room and Dad in his own. He wondered if the damage would be put down to a truck again or if a different memory would be implanted. They were random after all. He got up and stretched, finding his uniform had been cleaned from Yuzu's blood, Geta-boshi was good.

He got ready for school and then headed downstairs to find them talking about the truck they had all somehow slept through. He watched his Dad and yeah, he either knew or suspected the truth. How had he never guessed there was something up with him, he was way too accepting of Ichigo's absences from school and odd activities and yet he had never put it all together, not till he'd appeared to protect him from Aizen.

He was nervous about how much may change due to how differently the night before had gone. Rukia hadn't lost her powers so would she still hang around? Maybe curious about him? Kisuke would have to come up with another way for her to lose her powers and need his special gigai. And then he groaned as he began helping clean up, Sora, he was the first Hollow he'd really dealt with, other than that weakling she'd had him fight in the kids playground. He'd need to be dealt with quickly, preferable before ever becoming a Hollow. Harry may need to handle it, depending on how closely he was being watched now. Harry was definitely better at being sneaky than he was, even without magic.

As soon as he arrived at school he was inundated with questions about the accident everyone relieved to learn there had been no causalities and he saw Harry relax, despite the wards he'd been worried.

Ichigo wasn't sure whether to be surprised or not when Rukia didn't show up and at lunch they slipped away to ensure the kid at the park was safe, watching as she arrived and dealt with the multi-legged Hollow, before returning to class, unseen.

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Harry apparated to an empty alley by Inoue's apartment building and then began scouting around. There was Inoue in her apartment…the other residents…ah, there was her brother, floating in front of her window and…he swore and activated his charm, his body slumping to the ground as he vanished, drawing Nejibana as he moved, her sealed form slicing through the first Hollow's mask before they knew he was there. He spun around, bringing her around to cut off two tentacles before bisecting the seconds mask before the first had even finished dissolving. He found himself face to face with Orihime's older brother even as the spirit back peddled away from him, eyes wide in fear. "It's alright Inoue-san, I'm not here to hurt you," he lowered Nejibana, relaxing his stance. He couldn't afford to linger, it wouldn't take long for his presence to be detected, even with how much he was suppressing his power.

"How do you know my name?"

"I know your sister; we go to school together. It's time for you to pass on. More of those monsters will come for you until they turn you into one of them. once that happens you will hunt and kill Orihime."

"I'd never hurt her!" he denied angrily, and Harry smiled gently.

"You wouldn't but the monster they would make you into, would. It would consumer her soul and then kill everyone it came across to feed, eating other ghosts like you as well."

"How…how do I…"

"I can send you on, it won't hurt," he promised, moving closer. "No stabbing or impaling involved," he grinned, and Sora managed a shaky one in return, turning to stare at Orihime. Harry didn't have the heart to tell him what Soul Society would be like, the odds he'd remember his sister within a few years.

"Goodbye," he whispered before turning to Harry who smiled.

"Be at peace Sora," Harry told him, pressing Nejibana's hilt to his forehead, performing Konsō easily. He watched him vanish and hurried back to his body, getting in, and then apparating home to find Ichigo waiting for him. He grinned and kissed him. "It's done, just in time too, he was being attacked by Hollows."

"Good, that's one less trauma. Though…I wonder if that was the start of her powers developing. Have we slowed it down?"

"We can't live in the past or let 'what ifs' consume us," Harry warned and Ichigo nodded, they'd talked about it before.

"I better get home before I'm missed," he muttered unhappily.

"Soon we won't have to hide this," Harry promised, watching as Ichigo took off for home.

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Kisuke frowned at his instruments, there had been an odd reading there for a few minutes. He'd almost think it was a Shinigami, but the reading wasn't quite right. He checked the coordinates and then headed out to have a look himself, finding readings that matched Hollows, a plus and…the odd not-quite Shinigami. Very curious.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"Being watched," Harry murmured as he sprawled in the grass beside Ichigo, the others around as they enjoyed the warm day of no school.

Ichigo glanced down and then shifted his hand as if nervous, brushing against Harry's who looked at him and smiled at him, before entwinning their fingers. "I, uh…."

"Asking me out?" Harry asked softly, but not as softly as his previous comment. The other guys, except Chad were fooling around and their quiet friend was focused on his music. The only one focused on them was their watcher, had Shinji been watching Ichigo this early? Or had they changed things that much.

"If you want?" Ichigo finally asked and Harry's smile became a grin.

"Then I guess we're going out," he squeezed Ichigo's hand, shifting closer. They had to make it look like they were awkward teenagers and not old lovers.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Shinji blinked in surprise as he watched Isshin's son and the foreign boy, well that was very interesting and a bit awkwardly cute. He wasn't all that impressed with Kisuke calling them in for help, but he could see why. He'd avoided meeting the boy ever since he'd been born, not wanting to get attached to their sacrificial lamb. They'd done a good job of it, the only time he'd seen the kid was after his Mom's death. They'd played guard over the family to ensure it wasn't the start of an attempt to kill them all, but nothing further had happened, so they had pulled back after a month.

Hearing how the kid had literally been knocked out of his body by a Hollow, that he wore two blades and clothing similar to the Shinigami uniform was a shock. The kid was a hybrid but still, that was not normal. Though, who could say what was normal for the kid if he was the only one of his kind? No Shinigami had ever had kids while in a gigai with a Quincy who had been infected by an experimental Hollow. Had it been Ichigo that Kisuke had picked up outside that apartment building?

,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"Rukia?" Ichigo asked in surprise and Harry looked between them.

"Ichigo?" the Wizard asked, curious.

"This is Rukia…ah, I forget your family name, sorry. She's the Shinigami I told you about."

"Oh, nice to meet you," Harry smiled at her, seeing the shock on her face.

"You told?" she demanded and Ichigo shrugged.

"Of course I did, we uh, don't have secrets," he blushed slightly.

She stared at them, taking in how close they were standing to each other, hands brushing. Oh! "I see…you haven't told anyone else?"

"No one," Ichigo promised.

"Besides, I'm a wizard. Doubt Shinigami can get much weirder than we do," Harry offered, and her eyes widened.

She'd heard of wizards, after being adopted by the Kuchiki. Learning of them had been part of her education. They tended to make relatively powerful Shinigami once they moved to Soul Society, the ones in Japan anyway. They could see plus souls, the more powerful occasionally saw Hollows too, so his knowing wasn't a breach of the laws.

"So you're still in town?" Ichigo asked and she nodded

"My posting is for a month."

"And we're not getting weird looks talking to an invisible person?" Harry glanced around.

"Ah, this is a gigai, a false body used by Shinigami to interact with the living."

The exact thing they'd been hoping against. Neither could sense the Hōgyoku but with her own powers intact, would they? And no one in Soul Society had sensed its presence in her last time even with her powers drained. "May I ask why?" Harry asked when Ichigo stayed quiet, even as they kept walking.

"When you left your body, you had a dual blade Zanpakutō. I don't know how, that shouldn't be possible since you are definitely human. Someone needs to teach you how to control the power you are continually leaking, otherwise you will continue to attract Hollows until one consumes your soul," she explained, looking at Ichigo. "When not fighting Hollows, I will teach you."

"You're going to teach me?" Ichigo asked in surprise and she nodded. "If I'm not…leaking, then it'll keep my family and friends safer?"

"Yes."

"Alright," he agreed after glancing at Harry. It would be a good way to keep her close and as safe as possible. Would they still come for her believing she had given him her powers? If Aizen decided she had the evil marble then he would still make sure she was sentenced to death in order to get his hands on it. "When do we start?"

"Now," she answered, and Harry grinned when Ichigo sighed but they followed her away to a secluded section of the part where she sat him down for meditation.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Rukia watched the two human teens as they sparred, they were both good. After a week of training with Ichigo, with Harry almost always tagging along, she was adjusting to the living world, it was very different to what she was used to. Everything was so fast paced, and technology was everywhere! She had been staying at Urahara's store, but Harry had surprised her by offering her his spare room. She knew her brother wouldn't agree but there was something very shady about Urahara that made her not trust him. Plus she could talk with Harry, learn more about magic and the living world. She could feel his powers growing and reasoned it was due to his closeness to Ichigo and magic. He'd seen the Hollow yesterday. She would start trying to teach him Kidō, to be safe since magic likely wouldn't have a large effect on anything but a small, weak Hollow.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Ichigo looked up as Chad joined them, late, and mentally swore. How had he forgotten about the boys soul in the bird? Then again, until Chad was given it, he had no way of finding it. It had been too long since that particular fight, he didn't remember the feel of the boys soul or the Hollow hunting him to find them. They would tail Chad after school, find an opportunity to send the kid on and then take out the Hollow.

Of course, it didn't quite go to plan and but eventually they watched as the Gates of Hell claimed the Hollow and Rukia sent the boy on to Soul Society, lying the whole time about what a wonderful place it was. He didn't have the stomach to try and lie to the kid like that and a glance at Harry showed he felt the same.

"You did very well," Rukia told him, surprising him, compliments form Rukia had always been a rare thing. "For an idiot." That was more like it. "Next time, alert me first."

They both nodded as Harry finished healing Chad, and then made it look like he Obliviated his memories of the bird and fight but as he leant close to whisper. "Pretend you don't remember; we'll meet you under the bridge in an hour to explain." He then knocked him out and used a portkey to send him to his apartment.

,,,,,,,,,,,,

Of course, Chad took the revelation of magic and Shinigami very well and swore to say nothing. The trouble with Ishida should have started soon, as far as Ichigo remembered, but thanks to Harry's concealment Ring, the other teen could not sense he was a Shinigami. It was a dilemma. Footage of him fighting the Menos that had appeared had made it to Soul Society, it had been part of the reason that guy appeared at the graveyard, looking for Rukia. Kit had been the first step in showing Uryū that they could work together, have each other's backs but it also helped bring his 'cousin' to the attention of a certain creepy Captain. If they had to invade again, he was finding a way to make sure the creep died, Kisuke was the better and more ethical scientist, and that was a scary thought. What else had happened? They had been working to try and remember everything, but it had been a long and very busy time since his first months as a Substitute, he couldn't remember everything or in order. They had plans, but they had to remain fluid since not everything was the same. Inoue wasn't showing any sign of awareness like she had the first time around, not that he'd realised that was what it was at the time. they may have to rely on Harry's healing skills for a while and hope no one got mortally wounded until her powers woke.

_TBC…_


	9. Chapter 9

_Disclaimer: not mine_

**Chapter 9**

Isshin watched his son leave the house to meet up with Potter. He knew it hadn't been a truck to damage their home the other week, that a Hollow had attacked them, despite the shields Kisuke had placed around their house to protect the children. Ichigo's power had grown too much to be hidden by them any longer. The teen was spending more and more time at their place or out with Ichigo and Isshin was happy that Ichigo had made another friend. The more reasons he had to fight to survive the coming battles with Aizen the better. He knew what he would likely have to teach Ichigo in order to defeat that madman, the more friends Ichigo had the more easily he would adjust to being a normal human after.

Hearing how the Hollow had been defeated had been a shock. He had never heard of someone simply being knocked out of their body before and being a Shinigami. Then again, Ichigo was unique. Kisuke had also explained that Kuchiki was training Ichigo in the hope of controlling his power enough to not draw Hollows to him, she was even working to teach Potter some Kidō which had confused him until Kisuke had explained the boy was a Wizard.

How long would it take his son to hear his Zanpakutō? He was proud to learn he wielded dual blades since only two others in all of Soul Society did. unfortunately it also meant he would have to work out his own style of using them since none of them had trained to use two blades…well maybe Kisuke and Yoruichi did in the Second? But that wouldn't have been two Zanpakutō. Ichigo had inherited the Shiba talent for fighting though so he knew he would work something out.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry and Ichigo followed Rukia into the familiar store, both trying not to react, Harry hiding behind Occlumency shields to conceal the grief and longing at being back in the store they had last seen as a smoking ruin. Ichigo was keeping his face firmly set in his customary frown, letting his hand brush Harry's and Harry tangled their fingers, Shinji had seen them which meant Urahara knew so there was no point in hiding it.

"Ah! Welcome to my humble shop!" Urahara emerged, familiar fan in his hand, bowing slightly in greeting.

"Has my order arrived?" Rukia asked and he nodded, sending Ururu out back to get it and Harry felt Ichigo start ever so slightly. Harry considered what he knew of Ichigo's early days as a Shinigami, trying to work out what could have caused that.

"And who are your friends Kuchiki-san?"

She eyed the shopkeeper warily before glancing back at them. "Kurosaki Ichigo and Potter Harry," she introduced and they both bowed in greeting. "The Gikongan are for Ichigo."

Ah, that made it easier to guess what was coming, Kon. Not that he was needed thanks to their charms but it would be handy for Ichigo's body to have a way to get away from attackers or protect his family. Plus, Kon deserved to have a life, this time he would make sure he had something nicer than that silly lion plushie.

The always blushing young girl soon re-appeared with the wrapped object and Rukia unwrapped it to reveal the familiar dispenser, tossing it to Ichigo who easily caught it.

"What's this for?" he asked.

"To help you leave your body when you actually want to and to ensure no one realises you are doing so. That contains a false soul which will operate your body and keep it from dying or rotting without your soul."

"Huh," he inspected it before putting it in his pocket.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry watched as Ichigo and Rukia left the park before turning to the mod soul now inhabiting Ichigo's body. "I've got wards up, we're staying here till they get back," Harry warned him. Kon stared at him, obviously trying to act like a normal Gikon. "Ichigo and I know what you are and we won't let you be destroyed. You didn't ask to be created and then sent to be destroyed." Harry then tossed the small, rather human looking, doll at him. "You'll stay at Ichigo's so he can leave his body easily, protect his family and don't cause trouble. In exchange you'll be protected, have a relatively safe place to live and 'reading material' so long as you don't let anyone else see it. Understood?"

"How?" Kon asked, obviously thrown off guard and Harry smiled.

He sat down and indicated Kon should sit as well, explaining things to him. Kon would be a good ally and harry would make sure he was treated better this time…no way would the Twelfth get their hands on him. Plus there was no way anyone could make Kon spill their secrets, he would be a toy after all. Harry had given very specific instructions to the magical toy maker, even if he had confused the poor man. The spell work had been tricky but Kon would be able to feel things, except pain. The doll was as indestructible as magic could make it.

Kon listened to it all with very wide eyes but in the end he agreed, he knew without protection then one day the Shinigami would find him and destroy him.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Kisuke led his group in the search for Ichigo and the Gikongan he had been given in error. It was an easy enough mistake to make and he was not mad at Ururu for it, even if she had thought he was. How it had ended up in his shop in the first place he still wasn't sure, after all they were all meant to have been destroyed a long time ago. Who knew how much mischief it could get up to in Ichigo's body?

So it was a surprise to find it sitting placidly in the park with young Harry, watching the Wizard warily. He appeared to have things under control which was good. He stepped forward and they both turned to face him, Ichigo's body flinching back slightly in fear until Harry gripped his shoulder gently.

"Come to check Ichigo is using the Gikongan properly? As you can see, there's no problem," the wizard smiled and Kisuke studied him, somehow he knew it wasn't a normal Gikon and seemed to be protecting it.

"Ah, it appears you were given the wrong order Potter-kun."

"Well, we're happy with it so no problem."

Kisuke stared at him before nodding. "Very well, if there are later problems…"

"We'll handle them."

"Very well then," he nodded and turned to leave, Jinta pouting at the lack of violence. He knew Harry had received and understood the warning. Between Ichigo and Harry he had more questions than he had answers and while he loved puzzles, he liked solving them but these two he couldn't seem to work out.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Ichigo lay on Harry's bed, arm around his waist as they cuddled. Tomorrow was the 17th… the drowning grief and blame he had shouldered for so many years was gone, he'd had the needed extra time to finally accept that her death was not his fault. Aizen and Yhwach were the ones at fault, Aizen in setting Grand Fisher on them and Yhwach for taking back her powers at the worst possible moment. Then again, Uryū's Mother hadn't survived the process so Masaki likely would have died anyway.

Rukia was out on patrol so they had the apartment to themselves and he was happy to just lie around with Harry for a while. It was nice. Between school, homework, training, time with his family, they didn't get a lot of time to just be together in peace.

Ichigo sighed as Harry stroked his chest, it felt nice, soothing, and he turned his head to kiss him.

"You're worried," the wizard murmured and Ichigo nodded.

"Grand Fisher is no match for you, not anymore. You know the lure isn't your Mum too."

"I won't let him escape this time," Ichigo swore.

"I'll be there if you need backup. I'll tell Rukia you'll be unavailable though…she may decide to follow in case something happens."

Ichigo nodded. "Yeah, she probably will."

Harry sat up and then moved to straddle him, leaning down to kiss him, wanting to take his mind of what was coming. They were physically teenagers again after all, even if they did keep their pants on they could still have fun re-learning each other's bodies until they were ready for more.

When Ichigo left to return home, he was a lot more relaxed and feeling ready for the coming fight.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"Good morning Rukia," Harry set the last plate down and she took her seat at the table with a smile for the wizard.

"Good morning Harry."

"You were out late last night, trouble?" he asked and she sighed.

"Just a Hollow that was rather fast but I dealt with it," she assured him as they ate.

"Ichigo won't be at school today or available for training," he warned her when they were done and she frowned.

"Why not?" she asked and Harry looked at her from where he was washing up.

"He skips ever June 17th, the whole family does," he answered and she frowned.

Why would the whole family be unavailable on the same day? Something that affected all of them… "Their Mother?" she whispered and he nodded.

"Six years ago today. They spend the day at the cemetery," he explained tightly.

"I see… did Ichigo tell you?" she asked, she knew Harry had only moved to Japan this year after all, and he nodded. "Was it a natural death?" it may be prying but it was also a necessary question, Ichigo was powerful and it was possible he had attracted something as a child…or his Mother had. She didn't know if the woman had been powerful too.

Harry shook his head but didn't say anything. After so long, it was doubtful her soul lingered, surely Ichigo would have mentioned her if she had. However, Hollows were often drawn to cemeteries due to the grief and despair often found there and the easy feeding on mourners.

"You're going?" he asked warily.

"I will remain out of sight but it is safer for me to be there. I will not intrude," she promised.

Harry sighed but nodded. "I'll pack us some food."

She blinked but nodded, she couldn't keep him from coming and honestly the company would be nice. His training was going well, he had managed to cast the first spells for Bakudō and Hadō. He also knew to be careful about casting them since technically she shouldn't be teaching him or Ichigo. While not a crime in the same category of transferring her power to one of them, it still wasn't legal. She could handle the slap on the wrist she would receive as a Kuchiki though.

She helped Harry pack a backpack of food, drinks, and anything else they may want before they left. She held on tight as he apparated them to the cemetery, fighting down the nausea. Shinigami could move incredible fast but they didn't teleport and it was a useful ability, she just hated the sensations that came with it. They moved through the graves until they found Masaki's and then retreated to the trees around the cemetery, not wanting to be spotted or to intrude on the family's grief.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry grabbed Yuzu while Kon grabbed Karin, the two quickly moving the twins far from the fight.

"I've got them," Kon promised and Harry nodded before taking off back to the battle.

He saw Rukia go flying and quickly summoned her, cushioning her landing. "Alright?" he asked and she nodded, panting, as Ichigo went on the attack. Harry quickly went to work healing her wounds while Ichigo let out his pent-up feelings on his Mother's death on the Hollow.

Harry threw up an overpowered shield spell when he saw some tentacles get passed Ichigo's guard, stopping them from impaling the older male who shot him a thankful grin.

"The Hollow…it killed his Mother," Rukia panted and Harry grimaced but nodded. She got up and went to help but Harry held her back.

"Trust me, taking out your parents killer personally is something any orphan wants," he told her and her eyes widened in horror but he ignored it to keep an eye on the fight.

Harry wasn't really worried about Ichigo being able to handle the Hollow, he was more worried he'd get hurt trying to downplay his skills and power. Harry was ready to cast in less than a second, several nasty Black family curses on the tip of his tongue. Most magic had no effect on the spiritual, there were spells for dealing with poltergeists or keeping ghosts out but that was about it. Being a reincarnated Shinigami came in handy though, he was able to mix a little Reiryoku in with his magic which made his magic far more effective than any other Wizards. Rukia's training was a good way to explain that particular skill at least.

He tensed as the Hollow shrieked, trying to retreat only for Ichigo to whip the smaller blade around, hurling it at Grand Fisher…the blade sinking deep right between its eyes. As it screeched and flailed weakly Ichigo moved in, taking its head off with the larger blade. He stood over the dissolving body, panting for air and Harry quickly moved in, wrapping an arm around his waist as Ichigo's legs buckled.

"Easy, I've got you," he murmured. He knew last time, Isshin had taken out an Arrancar version of the Hollow since it had escaped an injured and exhausted Ichigo in that version of this fight and he knew letting it escape had weighed on Ichigo.

"The girls?" he asked as Harry got him sitting and Rukia moved in to check him over.

"With Kon."

"Where are you hurt?" she asked, looking for injuries and he shifted to show where Grand Fisher had scored a shallow hit along his ribs, letting her heal it.

"I'm okay."

"Adrenaline crash," Harry countered, running his fingers through unruly orange locks. It wasn't all acted either, he could feel the slight tremor in Ichigo's limbs, a release of tension, the relief of knowing his Mother's killer wouldn't hurt anyone else, the stress of having to worry about how much skill he showed…it had all added up. Once the injury was healed Ichigo pushed himself to his feet and they headed back to where Harry had left the twins with Kon, Ichigo quickly re-entering his body.

"Where's Dad?" Ichigo asked tiredly, the twins asleep thanks to Harry having knocked them out to ensure they didn't panic or try to run off or something.

"I'll find him," Rukia told him, taking off to find the Doctor.

Alone, Harry knelt down and kissed Ichigo, feeling him wrap his arms around him in return. "How are you really?" he asked when he pulled back.

"I don't know," Ichigo admitted softly. It had been hard, fighting the instinct to just wipe the bastard out without a fight but it was too dangerous to give that much information away when he knew Aizen would see.

"Let's get you all home," Harry smiled and went to wake his sisters.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Rukia felt Ichigo land on the balcony but stayed in her room, knowing he wasn't there to see her. After the day he'd had it was completely understandable that he would come to see Harry. Once they were settled she slipped out of the apartment to patrol the town.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Isshin was surprised to find Ichigo's room empty when he checked but he assumed he was at the river bank. Twice now, his family had been attacked by Hollows and he had been unable to do anything, he couldn't even see them! The girls were fine but Ichigo had been distant, quiet, and that did worry him some. Was it possible….it had been the same Hollow from all those years ago? He'd need to speak with Kisuke, see if he knew anything, or if Kuchiki had mentioned anything.

_TBC…_


	10. Chapter 10

_Disclaimer: Not mine_

_I gave in and bought FFVII and just got notice that it's in the post! _

**Chapter 10**

Shinji opened the door to find Kisuke slumped against the wall, a cup of cooling tea before him. "Do I want to know?" he asked and Kisuke lifted his head to look at him.

"The Hollow that killed Masaki is dead," he answered. "Isshin came to tell of the fight so I went to investigate…it was Grand Fisher according to my instruments. I detected the fight but didn't go to see, despite the date…" he sighed.

"The kid kill it or the Shinigami?"

"Ichigo, though he may have had help from young Potter, I detected traces of magic as well."

"Any sign of it?"

"No," Kisuke shook his head.

Well, that was a relief. Let the kid get used to Shinigami powers before finding out about it. He knew Kisuke would want them to handle that part of his training and it made sense, who else could teach him to use and suppress the monster sealed within his soul?

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

They sat quietly on the riverbank together, fingers tangled together as they watched the water flow by.

"You okay?" Harry eventually asked and Ichigo nodded.

"I know Dad got him last time but…"

"Yeah," Harry agreed. "So what next?"

"Nothing much, pretty standard patrols and small fry until…" he thought it over and then groaned.

"What?"

"Don Kanonji," he muttered and Harry frowned.

"Who?"

"He's a spirit medium on tv, unfortunately he does actually have some power, enough he was apparently able to move around Aizen when Tatsuki couldn't move."

"Oh! That weird tv show I caught Rukia watching the other day."

"Yeah, even Dad and Yuzu love it. Thing is, he's got just enough power to cause problems, last time around he filmed at an abandoned hospital which had a demi-hollow and of course he used his stick thing to dig around the forming hole."

"Ah, so it went from demi to full?"

"Yep. Rukia and I got caught on national television trying to stop him," he grimaced and Harry snickered.

"Well then, simple fix, let's go deal with any spirits before he shows up. Which is?"

"After my birthday, though not by much," he answered, having to think about it.

"So we've got time."

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Isshin watched his son and his boyfriend (and hadn't that been a shock! He'd thought Ichigo was uninterested in anyone) as they sat together, talking softly. He didn't know what to think of his son anymore….the boy had changed and it had begun the first day of school. If it had been after meeting a Shinigami that would be understandable. There was something…too old about his eyes and Potter was the same. Had something happened that day to both boys that no one had detected?

Nothing out of the ordinary had been spotter by anyone who had kept an eye on them since but he was still sure something had happened. He'd heard the explanation of what had happened to Ichigo when the Hollow attacked, how he'd been knocked out of his body. How was that possible? There was too much unknown and that put their plans at risk. At least Ichigo was aware of his powers and the Shinigami was in the special Gigai. All they had to do was wait for her to be drained to human to destroy the Hōgyoku. Without it, Aizen wouldn't be as powerful as they feared him becoming.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry landed lightly on his feet, returning Nejibana to her sheath even as Ichigo joined him. the hospital used for the tv episode was now cleared. They would check it again closer to the date to ensure nothing new moved in. They both got back in their bodies before leaving to meet up with Rukia.

"She's losing power," Harry commented quietly as they walked and Ichigo nodded.

"She's still stronger than she was last time though. She still has her Zanpakutō too so she'll be able to put up more of a struggle when they come to retrieve her."

"Think the charge will be giving you her powers?"

"Probably, it would be the easiest assumption to make," Ichigo shrugged and then they changed the subject as they joined her for a quick patrol around to check for Hollows.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Rukia happily ate the piece of birthday cake she'd been given. Ichigo was turning sixteen today and a party had been organised, unlike the parties she was used to. They were all formal affairs, nothing like this. Technically, Harry was hosting it and Ichigo had been very thankful. The twins had explained their Dad would be better behaved in someone else's home rather than their own. Everyone was having fun, chatting, eating sweets…yes, Inoue and Chad were dancing but it was nothing like she'd ever seen.

"Do you want to dance?"

She nearly jumped but turned to face Harry. "I don't know this dance," she admitted and he grinned.

"That's half the fun," he offered his hand and she hesitated but then took it and they went to join the other two.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Ichigo smirked when he saw Harry pull Rukia out to dance. If they failed to stop Aizen then war was coming and they all deserved to just have fun and be teenagers, even if technically several of them weren't. Looking at his friends as they celebrated his birthday he knew he had to do better this time, he would not let Soul Society hunt them down. He would make sure they knew enough to protect themselves and he knew Harry would help. This time, Britain could be a bolt hole, at least temporarily. If he knew Harry, and he did, he already had some sort of plan in the back of his mind for a way to hid in the living world.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Kon watched the Kurosaki household go about their everyday lives. It was nice, not being afraid of being found and destroyed. He didn't know why, but he believed Harry when he promised he would be protected. He even had his own body to use when not in Ichigo's and it was brilliant how lifelike it was. And he had all the reading material he could ever want!

Keeping Ichigo's body safely out of the way of any fights was almost too easy. The only dangerous one had been the fight in the graveyard where he'd had to get the twins to safety and protect them. The girls were innocent and he didn't mind protecting them, they reminded him of his siblings.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry blinked and stared at Isshin and Yuzu in confusion before looking at Ichigo who groaned.

"Kanonji," he muttered.

"Oh," Harry smiled and reached out to ruffle wild orange hair. "I put a tv in Rukia's room so she can watch what she wants. Want to come over and watch a movie?"

"Yeah, thanks." He dashed upstairs to grab his stuff. "Going to Harry's," he called on their way out the door.

"Should we check out the hospital on the way to be safe?"

Ichigo nodded, better safe than sorry, so they took off. A quick check showed no spirits hanging around so they headed for the apartment. Harry put a movie in and then they settled on the couch together. "School is going to be horrible tomorrow," he warned and Harry nodded.

"Will you still go to the show?"

"There's no reason for Dad to have not bought the tickets," he grumbled.

"Well, I bought tickets for myself and Rukia so you won't have to suffer alone."

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry watched the crowds go wild and mentally groaned; he wasn't as bad as Lockhart because he genuinely thought he was doing something good but…how could a grown man act like that? "And people actually watch this peacock," he muttered, shaking his head.

Ichigo snickered at his description. "They say 1 in 4 people watch his show."

"So glad I grew up with no television."

"It's not that bad, is it?" A familiar voice asked but they didn't jump, having sensed his presence.

"Why are you here Geta-boshi?" Ichigo asked.

"Ah, the children asked to come and see."

"There's nothing real here, is there?" Harry asked, glancing back at him curiously and Urahara shook his head. "Good."

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Ichigo was relieved when the show ended, without a demi-Hollow to make it dangerous, the night had been dull if noisy. Kanonji had seemed disappointed, though he'd still put on a show, acting as if he'd found a spirit for the fans. At least he wouldn't be dragged into the office tomorrow to be told off for behaving badly on tv.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry caught Uryū watching Ichigo a few times, despite how he had hidden the change in his spirit ribbon. Had he spotted Ichigo in Shinigami form at some point without them realising it? He knew what the Quincy had done the first time around, and they really didn't need a mass invasion of Hollows. Exams started tomorrow and the last thing they needed was him making trouble. Ichigo had written out a rough timeline of events now for the period before Harry had come to Japan the first time so he knew Uryū hadn't acted until after their class rankings were given, he probably didn't want to mess up his own studying.

For Harry, all of this school work was new. Ichigo on the other hand could remember bits of it from last time. They spent a lot of time studying when not training, hunting Hollows, or sneaking off on dates. The better their class ranks the more accepted their absences would be in the future and if things with Soul Society could be kept peaceful then they could hopefully attend University one day too.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Rukia joined the group at the board, looking down the lists of names. She knew her brother wouldn't care about human school rankings but she still didn't want to shame the family with a bad rank. Ichigo and Harry had helped her but…not in the top fifty. Human school was just so different to the Academy and had so many strange subjects. Curious, she looked closer at the lists even as Keigo began wailing about Ichigo being a traitor and nerd…ah, there he was. How did Ichigo managed to rank 10th! Harry even got the 12th spot, despite the differences in schooling systems between countries and being a year younger. Ranked in between them was Chad.

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Uryū watched Kurosaki, Potter, and Kuchiki as they left the school. He had always been aware of Kurosaki, how could he not when his power saturated the town? They hadn't met before this year though, having attended different schools before. Kuchiki, it was obvious what she was, one of the hated Shinigami. Potter…he was a bit of an enigma. Seeing him and Kurosaki last week in the secluded corner of the park…that had been a shock. Kurosaki had struck him as uninterested in anyone with the way he seemed blind to Inoue's massive crush on him.

Even more shocking had been seeing Kurosaki take out a Hollow with a sword, dressed in black. Shinigami had red spirit ribbons and his was not red so how was that possible? Why else would a Shinigami be around him? He did not like not knowing the answers.

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Harry grinned as Ichigo rolled back to his feet, holding Nejibana at the ready, able to feel her excitement. He knew she was impatient for the day when they wouldn't have to hide anymore.

Ichigo laughed and darted in and Harry vanished, beginning a wild game of tag.

If Aizen kept to his old timetable, things would soon be heating up so they were taking advantage of some spare time to let off some steam.

_TBC…_

_I know it's short but I'm still not sure whether or not Uryū will confront Ichigo and use the bait or not. _


End file.
